So, we already informed you that the amazing Shannon and the Clams are coming back to Great Scott on Wednesday, November 20. Cool. Ohh, but it gets wayyy cooler than that…
Our Providence dawgs, Atlantic Thrills are kicking things off with their psychedelic, Peruvian punk slime. https://www.facebook.com/AtlanticThrills
Our two favorite New England based rock ‘n’ roll bands opening for one of the best national rock ‘n’ roll bands today – this is the bill we have been dreaming for!
Bands: Miami Doritos, Free Pizza, Gangbang Gordon, Ben Tan Date: Friday, October 11, 2013 Venue: Radio Down (Somerville, MA)
Ben Tan – This ain’t BBT’s (that’s Big Ben Tan for your information) first rodeo, aww hell no. Ben Tan’s been rocking and shocking dance halls, basements, back alleys, and Vince McMahon’s private parties for over a decade now and he’s not stopping any time soon; he can’t he has that contract with the “dubbya dubbya E” aka WWE as he puts it in the folk anthem “Upper Lower Middle Class Blues.” It’s a Bob Dylan ode if I’ve ever seen one, what with the raspy voice, acoustic gee tar and harmonicai in tow. You know, if you have a younging in the house and are looking for an alternative to the typical clown/magician spectacle than look no further than Ben Tan. Kids love Bob Dylan.
Ben continues with other signature originals including “Inside Out” and a song about a very special gal entitled “Marielle.” These cuts showcase Ben’s natural talent as a singer – songwriter (God, I hate that term, but trust me it works here) and his incredible ability to imitate the pop music of the 60s with The Beach Boys and The Beatles being his top two objects of duplication. If you’re looking for the most original music in the world, then I’d say look elsewhere. At the same time, Ben is his own person and stands out in just about any setting.
After having enough fun with the guitar, he makes his way to the piana, where he busts out a few more OGs. He closes his set, asking for any crowd requests. This leads to mershy pop numbers, R. Kelly’s “Ignition Remix” and Cee Lo Green’s “Fuck You,” much to the crowd’s delight. BBT’s back in the saddle again. http://bentan.bandcamp.com/album/inside-out
Gangbang Gordon – Following Big Ben Tan’s set is rock ‘n’ roll’s last tru gangsta, Gangbang Gordon himself and he is accompanied by my brother Justin on drums. This is GBG’s fifth show and his second with Justin, and with all biases aside I think this is his/their best set so far.
Alas as the two are about to run through the beginnings of an epic GBG set, the amp dies on them. Eh, well whatever doesn’t kill you only makes you stranger, right? Luckily, Ben lends GBG his amp and all is well. The gangbang begins with an all instrumental jam that mixes surf and noise and sounds like The Ramones, Nobunny, and Fat Creeps. Then they slide into “Lost Touch With The Youths,” a song about being young and lost and feeling out of touch with those who are young and lost.
The show goes on for more and more grotesque Gangbang Gordon tunes that make most cheer, some cringe, and then you have Ben Tan, who wants to start a riot. At one point he yanks my naragansett out of my hand, chugs it, and flips me the bird. I immediately rip the beer out of his hands, but he’s out of control as he swings some sort of cables around frantically dancing to the Gangbang.
The Gangbang slops over into its filthy climax with the Spanglish rapcore number “Orgullo de Rappers” in which GBG paces around the packed crowd, rapping in everyone’s face and hucking beer cans in the air. As GBG lays his axe to rest in a whirlwind of feedback, Justin piles through with a vicious drum solo that leaves the crowd thirsting for more. More Gangbang to come in the future… http://gbgordon.bandcamp.com/
Free Pizza – Free Pizza is among one of the many fantastic artists I have come across in the Boston underground music scene this past year. They’ve been kicking around for a couple years now, but I only recently got turned on to them this past Summer. This is my second time seeing them and I am really digging their sweet, summery, surf sounds. How’s that for alliteration?
Recently, tragedy struck the band in the form of a skateboarding accident resulting in vocalist/guitarist Jesus Vio breaking his clavicle, leaving him unable to play guitar. But, the mighty Free Pizza soldiered on! Jesus keeps rocking on vocals and they have enlisted friend, Ben Katzman on guitar. Ben rocks. EVERYBODY ROCKS!
I am still learning Free Pizza songs, but right now my favorite is their signature bandcamp available tune “Net – Babes.” It’s a catchy little number and every time Jesus sings “we have no beaches” I hear “we have no bitches.” Haha, that’s just what I hear. It’s BEACHES folks, and Free Pizza will be surfing through your skull on a daily basis. Get with the times. http://freepizzarocks.bandcamp.com/
Miami Doritos – By the time Miami Doritos hit the mini stage I am feeling no pain. Who needs pain when you have Miami Doritos? Kurt (vocals/guitar) and Alex (vocals/drums) find the one kid in the audience that is feeling pain and they serenade him/her back to safety with their psychedelic thrash testosterone fueled noise.
Indeed, two pieces are fun. Just to throw that out there. I typically prefer a full band, but Miami Doritos stretch beyond the common limitations that two pieces meet every day. I mean there’s just two of them, but it takes two to tango, so why do you need more than two people in a band anyway?
If you’re looking for a swift kick in the balls and you’re sick and tired of being let down by indie rock losers, then go out and see Miami Doritos and you won’t be disappointed. http://miamidoritos.bandcamp.com/
This was a Kids Like You & Me/KLYAM show and Glen and I are thankful for all of the bands that played, everyone that came out, and the Radio for having us. We also want to thank Storm or Howl, who was originally scheduled to play, but could not make it. They are amazing and you should all check out their beautiful music here: https://www.facebook.com/stormorhowl
As you oughta know by now The Gabba Ghouls are this year’s ultimate Halloween band, so check out all of their spooky music here: http://thegabbaghouls.bandcamp.com/ But, why not give ya a couple of classics anyway?
That’s right! The holiest of the holies, King Khan & His Sensational Shrines are spreading the gospel of love, peace, and rock ‘n’ roll tonight @ Brighton Music Hall!
The world’s premier all-Italian Halloween punk & roll group The Gabba Ghouls (Connecticut) have just released their self-titled debut tape in time for the big day. Organic candy corn for soulless trick or treaters. Featuring some cool dudes in JACQUES LE COQUE.
These dudes are a serious meatball of fun, forgo the monster mash on your soundtrack – All You Need Is Blood.
AND they are playing a couple of shows:
OCTOBER 30 @ Cafe Nine in New Haven, CT with Lust Cats of the Gutters, and Mannequin Pussy
OCTOBER 31 @ Lit Lounge in NYC with Happy Jawbone Family Band, Lust Cats of the Gutters, and Mannequin Pussy
While these tunes are endearing no matter the time of year, let’s be serious if you are in those locations, go see Gabba Ghouls.
Bedroom garage punk performed by young DIY multi-instrumentalists seems to be a growing thing in modern punk slime. And rightfully so. The Back Pages – KC Allen, 16 yrs old, Orlando, Florida – has made his own fascinating contributions to the cause. With quickly spouted lines of angst, machine gun esque rhythm guitar, he’s well-versed in Jay Reatardelia circa 2006-2008. It’s not just his playing which is impressive, but like Jay, he’s got the production side of things down to a pseudoscience.
There are currently three releases (one a month starting in August) up on the The Back Pages Bandcamp – “JuSst Tthat Stuipod”, “Break It All Off,” and the most recent “Darkness Creeps Over.” If we’re into picking favorites, I’ll hold off, but I’ll say I’m real real real into “Destined To Be Miserable,” as it grows grows grows and pounds pounds pounds like a righteous Ty Melted ditty, showing off songcraft that moves beyond the great terrain of Aussie accents and punk pop melody into instant four chord fuzzzzzzzz.
Down in Orlando while some teenager is waiting in a 90 minute line to go on the Tower of Terror, another teenanger is masterminding his own 2-3 minute self-made rides of terror. You don’t need to worry about puking to Back Pages!
Bands: Hanni El Khatib, Bass Drum of Death, The New Highway Hymnal, Future Spa Date: Wednesday, October 9, 2013 Venue: Middle East Downstairs (Cambridge, MA)
Future Spa – I can’t say this enough, but my ears are slowly plunging into their watery graves. I’m seriously relying on the capabilities of future technology to preserve what remains of my hearing so I can slop, rock, and roll till the day I die. Somerville’s Future Spa aren’t helping my case right now because they are dishing out a hefty amount of damage on my ears with their rough noise fused garage onslaught.
We first caught these dudes at a toasty Mark Sultan show last December at the Starlab – going to miss that place! As with that show, Future Spa produce a quick slam in the bread basket with piles of noise rock, early 80’s hardcore, and plenty of shrieks and screams alike.
Future Spa show off their No Age and Sonic Youth influences in songs such as “No Age” and “Sonic Youth,” respectively. You can hear all of their garage punk anthems on their bancamp here: http://futurespa.bandcamp.com/album/my-aunt-brian
Set – List:
“Intro”
“My Aunt Brian”
“No Age”
“Turn On The Action”
“Lipshits”
“Surf Song”
“Sonic Youth”
“Blackinkcocaine”
“Gangof4”
“Fucking Mick Jagger”
The New Highway Hymnal – Shit, it’s been two months since I’ve seen these dudes. Last time was here at the Middle East Downstairs for the Boston Fuzzstival. That was a grand show, but this performance is superior and one of the best I’ve seen from the trio.
The set begins with an ear splitting batch of guitar feedback coming from Hadden Stemp’s amplifier and shortly thereafter the band kicks into Whispers staple “Hey Kid (Gotta Run),” a song typically whipped out towards the end of the set. The fiery tune gets me really amped up (amped up? whatever…) for the rest of the set and while the crowd is still building up, a few attendees are more than enthusiastic in their appreciation of NHH.
To the left of of me stands The Lysergic Factory Light Show’s Peter Colpack, a rampant supporter of the band, and while Mr. Colpack provides no acid trippy visuals tonight, he frenetically dances his ass off instead. His primitive, out of control style of dancing is akin to a one man mosh pit; it’s as if he’s possessed and fighting off a vicious army of fire ants crawling down his shaky spine.
The New Highway Hymnal’s sound runs through the rock ‘n’ roll gamut, splattering together the likes of The Doors, The 13th Floor Elevators, The Grateful Dead, The Velvet Underground, The Stooges, and The Brian Jonestown Massacre among other forms of music. It’s freak out music for the freaks and therefore you never know what kind of behavior may spew out during a NHH set. To the right of me are two more characters. One kind hearted old timer cheers the band on in his thick Boston accent as he brandishes his Boston Red Sox hat. Another woman shakes her booty rapidly to the band’s swift psych delivery. When they ask the sound guy how much time they have left? This woman hollers “How long is it going to take for you to fuck me?” Much to the band’s surprise/amusement.
The set crashes to its close in classic New Highway Hymnal fashion with Amelia and Hadden producing vast layers of screeching feedback from their guitars and Travis making a mess of his drum kit by smashing his cymbals into the snare drum and making use of anything and everything in front of him as a means of percussion. This conclusion is a microcosmic trance within the larger trance that is The New Highway Hymnal. Sit on that mind blowing piece of information while you pass time in work/school/church/ waiting in line for the post office. http://thenewhighwayhymnal.bandcamp.com/
Bass Drum Of Death – Here’s a band whose material I am not overly familiar with, yet I have kept them on the back burner for a couple of years now. Bass Drum Of Death are a heavy, pummeling garage rock band that most garage, punk, or simply garage punk fans would dig, but I’d go even further and state that fans of more general rock or other genres may also enjoy their music as well. And that’s certainly not a trait that can be applied to any old garage band. With Bass Drum, the music is more fine tuned, crisper. At the same time, there is still plenty of that slimy, sleazy element that we gunk punkers all know and love.
As I said before, I am not a huge fan of this band, simply because I have only heard a few of their songs, so seeing Bass Drum Of Death is comparable to seeing a sweet band, but not like waiting all year to see BASS DRUM OF DEATH!!! Though, this is not the case for much of the dudes in attendance. And yes I stress the word dudes, as I feel this set is filled with plenty of sausage and that’s okay, but I tend to prefer seeing an equal balance of the genders, damn I don’t how you metal folk do it! Anyway, much of these dudes are heavy duty Bass Drum Of Death folk and a small, but steady mosh pit explodes in front of the stage. Kids smashing into one another and screaming along to their favorite Bass Drum Of Death tunes and unleashing all of that teenage, hormonal frustration. It’s a lot of fun.
Hanni El Khatib – Now, with Hanni El Khatib I am totally unaware of their discography, having vaguely heard of the band a few times in the past. For this show, I came mostly for the local bands, and yes Bass Drum Of Death is a treat. Hanni El Khatib, I am not as impressed with – don’t get me wrong, they are fine, but I just don’t feel it as much as the three previous bands. Hanni appears to be more in line with blues and classic rock or I am just a crazy bastard and I’m hearing weird noises. In either situation, they don’t floor me enough to stay for the second half of their set. Not a bad band, but just not the band I would go out of my way to see live. Lastly, I am not sure why they were paired with Bass Drum Of Death for this tour, given that their sounds are very different. Then again, that can be an immensely positive thing, hopefully bringing together fans of both styles of music and introducing new bands to both parties.
Here’s a sick video of Bass Drum Of Death from Joanna Trachtenberg!
Bad History Month: Bad History Month is solo Sean History Month, singer and guitarist of Fat History Month, who you all know as Boston’s dearest underground band. The crowds descend downstairs, greeted by the warm presence of Sean, his guitar, amp, and bass drum. The bass drum seems to be something of a new addition for Sean as he has anointed us the crowd a focus group for his percussion aided performance. Sean’s gentle playing is a beautiful thing, full of depth and intensity. The liberating, calming sound that is a History Month set is so distinguishing, so relaxing. I kept thinking to myself, what a pleasure to be in a basement right now listening to this set. The only tune that I recognize is “Fucking Despair” from the same-name-can’t-recommend-enough album so don’t count me in as an expert of the nitty gritty for tonight’s set. Which might not be a bad thing – the mood generated was most notable and left us feeling better than we did thirty minutes prior.
SARALEE: I won’t speak for Chris, but I think he’ll agree with me here – Saralee is a band we hold near and dear. We first saw Sara [vocal/guitar] and Lee [drums] perform as Saralee back on May 26, 2011, opening for Peach Kelli Pop at the Problem House in Allston. That was our first Boston basement show. From that point forward – roughly – our eyes were opened to the magic of the local scene. Seeing Saralee in a grimy basement is all I know of seeing Saralee first hand. So when they took to the non-stage last night, I was brought to a rather familiar place. A cozy place. The tunes of Saralee are like small pieces of nostalgia, a soundtrack to things that might have occurred in childhood or yesterday or in the future. They are uplifting songs, at least to my hears. The only comparison I can really come up with is early OCs – if in light tone and playful minimalism. They played a dozen or so jams, most topping out at around a couple of minutes. There was a time during the winter months of both 2012 and 2013 that I spent hours for several consecutive days listening to Saralee’s DEMO at work. You’d think I would get sick of it, but it just put me in high spirits…continuously. That was the case with SARALEE tonight. I loved every minute of it, Lee’s artistic drumming synced with Sara’s ultra reverby delivery. This is a band that has won hearts across the nation in a tour culminating in this very basement. I’m sure of it. Their self-titled LP just released on 12″ hand-screened vinyl is stunning. Listen there and pick up a copy or pick up the copy and smile wide! It’ll be a favorite.
Giving Up: One of the most unfortunate things that can happen for a big fan of live music is showing up late and paying the consequences of being squished in the back. This is most trying in close quarters. So there we go, I don’t think I ever got a solid view of Giving Up, but thank God for my ears. I heard ’em! I dug what I heard, bizarre folk sorta like Page France but noisy, more demented. Catchy! A perfect complement to Saralee being all hazily distinct and stuff. Memory music. Also, I’ve been informed that Lee was on drums. Nice Lee. Check these Midwesterners out: http://givingup.bandcamp.com/ !
Guerilla Toss: G-Toss can just about do anything they damn want and like most things so very irresistible, crowds will follow! Every show I’ve seen Guerilla Toss play has been push and shove, so beware people who like to take things easy. There’s not another Guerilla Toss in the world – Cassie, Peter, Simon, Ian, and Arian – make/display some of the craziest stuff I’ve ever heard/seen. Punk rock stripped to its most feral motions, radically spun with noise, glitches, consistent freak outs. It’s a very held together thing though. I’m always amused just by being witness to what is going on and the domineering clutching fist enveloping the crowd, making them suspects of a short duration assault. YA i’m down for this! http://guerillatoss.bandcamp.com/
Kids Like You & Me (KLYAM) 