ONE WEEK from today – Wednesday, October 23 – you will be going to The Sinclair to see the Orwells and FIDLAR AND our hometown Nice Guys – just added to the bill!
Remember that time Nice Guys opened for Orwells at TT The Bears? I do, well. It was sick.
These are lesser known entities engulfed in the passion of lesser known music. They deserve all the shout-outs they can get for the good work they are doing:
Mass Ave And Beyond – On The Radio @ WZBC 90.3 – Fridays from 5 PM to 7 PM – For those on a Monday thru Friday work or school schedule, I would argue that there’s little better than starting your weekend off in fine style by listening to the MASS AVE AND BEYOND radio program on WZBC 90.3. Hosted by Chris Collins – a highly knowledgeable participant/champion of the Boston underground and known for his great work with the Boston Hassle – Mass Ave transmits choice tunes from New England bands that range from basement upstarts to scene veterans that are on some of the sweetest independent record labels ’round the country. The sonic diversity of the region’s DIY artistry is on full display as Chris plays a variety of eccentric offerings, punk/garage/surf/experimental/electronic, just to name some styles. He also runs down an extensive weekend concert listing. There’s something for everyone every night and unlike a lot of stations/programs, non-traditional venue shows are given time of day right alongside club shows in the listings. So listen to old archives and also call-in to make a request. I did the other day and Chris played the tune within seconds! Coincidence or not, I dunno, but you are sure to be enlightened after listening to this inspiring show.
Melody Matters – YouTube Channel – Bernie’s been a fixture behind the lens, capturing high quality video and audio from local musicians for more then a few years now. He has over 650 live videos on YouTube, a nice little chunk that feature some of our favorites: Fat Creeps, Colleen Green, Peach Kelli Pop, etc, etc. We appreciate all Bernie’s work and besides it’s always cool bumping into him in the depths of spidery basements with a six pack of Narragansett in tow.
The FLASH Boston – Online Blog Format – Notes from the Boston scene courtesy of one Gordon Marshall. An esteemed and plenitudinous poet, Gordon concocts descriptions of bands performing before his eyes. His way with words is funny, apt, seemingly over-the-top, but above all: real. One dude’s creative take on creative takes. Sample: “Punk rock thrashers they eat bacon and rashers they have rashes on their skin that look like Ho Chi Min chicka chicka string line with a wiry finish fine like Chardonnay and I just say hey I’m having a good time on top of that I rhyme” [ACIDOSIS, Oct 12].
LINK: http://m.spin.com/articles/liquor-store-new-jersey-in-the-garden-album-stream/
Out now on ALMOST READY RECORDS:
Eight retro jams from NJ’s premier rock ‘n roll machine
Dumb Doctors is South Carolina punk slime maestro Scott Dence on everything. This solo project is insanely ear catching, much like everything the dude has done with his bands M-TANK and Boring Portals.
“Black Door” is the B-Side of a recently released digital 7″ (I Am You), crank it full volume and leave no shame in the destruction of your eardrums via ultra fuzzy fuzz. I’m thinking Ty Segall and Dumb Doctors collaborative 12″ soon?
Bands: Lust-Cats of the Gutters, Mannequin Pussy, Secret Lover, Free Pizza
Date: Friday, October 4, 2013
Venue: JP Drive In/Ill Spot
Free Pizza – Free Pizza, it’s so beautiful. Two delicious words. Free and Pizza, together as one. Free Pizza is a mouth watering slice fresh out of the heart of Jamaica Plain, but plain they are not. This Pizza is filled with a palette of scrumptious toppings. Jesus Vio slays on bass and vocals, Santiago Cardenas tears shit up on guitar, and my old No Age buddy, Nick Rasmussen smashes the skins.
This is my first Free Pizza show and it is a pleasant first experience at that. During this performance I honestly can’t picture them playing anywhere other than a tight basement reeking of mold and steel reserved beer. I’ve heard the term basement rock thrown around before and I always thought it was a silly description, but I feel like Free Pizza fits that description.
The vibes are all positive and there’s a very warm, homey feel to their set. It’s almost jammy (I don’t know why I keep adding the – y to all my descriptions here), like a mellow garage group, yet still ready to rock.
In the Free Pizza spirit of playing for and more importantly with the people, for one song they lend the mic over to anyone that wishes to sing in exchange for a forty. One of the dudes in Secret Lover grabs the mic and sings along with the Pizzas – ahh new nickname. I eventually find a nickname for every band.
Free Pizza rocks! It’s true and by far their catchiest tune is “Net – Babes,” a tune about surfing the interwebs and finding that special someone. Internet babes. Dayemmm, I gotta get me one of those. You can hear this song over here at their bancamper. http://freepizzarocks.bandcamp.com/
Secret Lover – I’ve seen these Worcester based dudes and dudette a few times now and this show is not too different from those previous experiences; pleasant easy to listen (and perhaps dance) to pop music. Though I am not overly engaged in Secret Lover’s music, I can appreciate its smooth, mellow, psychedelic flavor. There’s also a lot of power pop and classic rock elements to be admired, at least to my ears.
It’s nearly impossible to write about Secret Lover and not mention the feisty, powerful performance coming from lead singer/songwriter, Sally Horowitz. She careens around the basement floor and taunts the audience with infinite enthusiasm. Her singing brings to mind that of Deborah Harry (Blondie) and Marissa Paternoster (Screaming Females).
Check them out here: http://secretlover.bandcamp.com/
It sucks big time that we had to depart early and missed most of Mannequin Pussy’s (NYC) set and all of Lust-Cats of the Gutters’s (Denver), but I highly recommend you check out their bandcamps and catch them on tour now! See tour dates here: https://klyam.com/2013/10/07/band-of-the-week-lust-cats-of-the-gutters-on-tour-now/
Lust-Cats of the Gutters:
http://lustcats.bandcamp.com/
Mannequin Pussy:
http://mannequinpussy.bandcamp.com/
Fortunately, I had the opportunity to meet Robin and Alex from Lust-Cats and they are the sweetest/coolest!! Hope you guys are having an excellent time with Mannequin Pussy!
In traditional Chum’s fashion, not much is known about this show ‘cept it’s October 26 (Saturday) and features the likes of CHASTITY BELT and tour-mates PONY TIME. They are on tour now, check to see if they are coming to you: https://www.facebook.com/events/301883539958164/
THOSE DARLINS @ Great Scott – 9 PM – $12 – Nashville country punk slimers Those Darlins roll into town with a fresh new LP in hand Blur The Line. Their new stuff has a more personal sheen yet I bet their live show is still as wild and sweatily satisfying as ever. Folk New Yorker Gambles will allow the crowd to catch its breath after the manic, organ led garage of Boston’s own Thick Shakes.
FUZZ @ Great Scott – 9 PM – $10 – 18+ – Ty Segall comes back to Boston after three years of ACTIVITY. He’s been busy. We’ve had a chance to see him twice in New York as himself, but here he checks in as FUZZ, which is like his album Slaughterhouse personified, with regular band-mate/buddy Charlie Mootheart co-masterminding the group. Leading things will be local psych/garage staples Creaturos and San Fran’s CCR Headcleaner, whose own hooky noise assaults quite complement FUZZ.
Sonic Avenues @ O’Briens – 9 PM – $8 – 21+ – Coming down from the great land of Canada are powerpop fueled Sonic Avenues who’ve got an enjoyable Jay Reatard/Adverts sound. Opening for them are the ATLANTIC THRILLS, the Providence band that we can’t seem to praise enough around here. They ignite crowds with old school punk (think more Peru 1965 than NYC 1977) ‘n gunk; their surfy debut Day At The Beach 7″ came out a few months back on Almost Ready…check it out! Also reviving garagier daze are Thee Legendary Rockin’ Prophets and self-described Ramonescore punk pop north shorers The Little Richards start festivities.
Future Days @ Lilypad – 9 PM – $5 – This is a special show celebrating the video release of “Blonde Wig” from Future Days latest release Tony Plante. Supporting the catchy psych pop of Future Days are two KLYAMMY bands: Free Pizza, fresh off an absolutely mesmeric performance at the KLYAM Radio Down show Friday night, and The Silkies, who we saw dominate at PA’s Lounge months ago with their girl group/new oldies charm.
Leamers @ 119 Gallery (Lowell) – 8 PM – Bounce provocateurs (as in literally causing people to bounce) Canadian(nes) Leamers descend to Lowell for what’s sure to be a great deal of fun. Also playing are some punks: Providence punks Downtown Boys, Boston punks The Vegans and some more experimentally minded groups like Les Rhinoceros (Washington DC), Dust Witch (Northampton), and Shogun Horny (location UNKNOWN).
Horsehands @ PA’s Lounge – 9 PM – 21+ – A watery show for those who are more inclined toward the less straightforward: robotic/melodic post-rockers Horsehands top the bill – they just recently released a split 7″ with Lady Bones, prolifically upbeat zany pop punk Zookeepers, primeval Middle Agelic ambiance/psychedelic pop comes courtesy of J COLE and company in Warped Forest, and Guerilla Toss singer Kassie’s Molasses is similarly making centuries old sound affects come alive.
HALLOWEEN SHOW 2 @ Cambridge Elks Lodge – 9 PM – $8 – 18+ – Four of Boston’s finest groups playing as: The Mummies, Meatloaf, The Cramps, and Blink 182. The four bands are Fat Creeps, Designer, Nice Guys, and Guerilla Toss. Who is playing who? Go and see!!!!!!!
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Think we missed a show that a tru KLYAMer is itching to see? KLYAMEMAIL@GMAIL.COM
A psych pop tart from Soft Eyes – Luke Goudreault (you all know this good dude from THE MIGS, Slimers, MMOSS, and formerly The New Highway Hymnal) solo. I’m psyched myself to hear that he – Soft Eyes – has a tape coming sometime soon on Under The Gun Records. Step into the time warp and you’ll surround yourself in a kind of atmosphere White Fence has prolifically bandied around in over the past few years.
Hot Dog! We have a weiner! A serious KLYAM fave is in the haus. Shannon and thee Clams aka Shannon And The Clams is back in Boston on Wednesday, November 20 at Great Scott. Dayemmm, it feels like we just saw these guys the other day…. back in June we caught the Clams opening for Mikal Cronin, also at Great Scott. You can read about it here: https://klyam.com/2013/07/09/review-mikal-cronin-shannon-and-the-clams-roomrunner-the-migs-great-scott-61713/. We’re truly blessed to have such a fantastic band back in our city once again!
Check out the new music video from our favorite masked musician, Mr. Nobunny himself! The video is for one of my all time favorite Nobunny cutz, “I Was On (The Bozo Show),” the final track off of thee classic LP First Blood (2010, Goner). It’s a new video, but it was shot in 2011 and directed by Jason Willis. Whachu talkin’ bout Willis? This is what I’m talking about. Enjoy!
Kids Like You & Me (KLYAM) 