bradley's almanac - a boston-based music blog

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thursday, september 2nd

lou barlow + the missingmen

wye oak

the unfamiliars

@ the middle east upstairs

saturday, september 4th

mg lederman (ex-victory at sea)

cd release show with

the wrong reasons

the beat awfuls

brant deatley

@ the plough & stars

sunday, september 5th

sweet apple

(w/j mascis on drums)

black helicopter

zombie radio

@ the middle east downstairs

sunday, september 5th

the milling gowns

what time is it, mr. fox?

faux ox

jaggery

@ harper's ferry

monday, september 6th

wallcreeper

@ charlie's kitchen

monday, september 6th

shellac

helen money

@ the middle east downstairs

tuesday, september 7th

tortoise

greg davis

ben vidas

@ the paradise

tuesday, september 7th

someone still loves you boris yeltsin

telekinesis

golden bloom

@ tt the bears

tuesday, september 7th

kele (from bloc party)

does it offend you, yeah?

@ the royale boston

wednesday, september 8th

hot hot heat

22-20s

hey rosetta!

@ the middle east downstairs

wednesday, september 8th

airborne toxic event (acoustic)

with the calder string quartet

@ the somerville theatre

thursday, september 9th

apple betty

this blue heaven

the backup factor

apollo run

@ tt the bears

friday, september 10th

i, pistol

black fortress of opium

the crushing low

@ precinct

friday, september 10th

the charlatans uk

sherlock's daughter

@ the royale boston

saturday, september 11th

school of seven bells

active child

@ the middle east downstairs

saturday, september 11th

neutral uke hotel (nmh covers on ukelele)

the michael j. epstein memorial library

@ cafe 939, berklee

saturday, september 11th

28 degrees taurus

magic shoppe (record release!)

@ the rosebud

saturday, september 11th

jamie lidell

@ the royale boston

friday + saturday

september 11th + 12th

the life is good festival

lots of bands, raising money for kids

over 2 days in canton, ma

sunday, september 12th

jarrod gorbel

(of the honorary title)

air traffic controller

@ great scott

sunday, september 12th

blondie

@ the house of blues

sunday, september 12th

vampire weekend

beach house

dum dum girls

@ the boa pavilion

monday, september 13th

dirty projectors

owen pallett (final fantasy)

@ the wilbur theatre

monday, september 13th

isobel campbell

mark lanegan

willy mason

@ the middle east downstairs

tuesday, september 14th

rush

@ the td garden

wednesday, september 15th

laura veirs + the hall of flames

the watson twins

led to sea

@ tt the bears

thursday, september 16th

of montreal

janelle monae

@ the house of blues boston

friday, september 17th

one happy island

kevin dunn

cotton candy

7:30pm @ the lily pad, cambridge

friday, september 17th

broken social scene

@ the house of blues

friday & saturday

september 17th & 18th

the 5th annual

viva la vinal festival!

with live performances from

audrey ryan, kingsley flood,

this blue heaven, bridget + the squares,

the international string trio, & justin shorey

6-10pm on friday + 12-9 on saturday

@ somerville community growing center

on vinal ave. in somerville's union square

saturday, september 18th

pavement

jenny (lewis) + johnny (rice)

@ agganis arena

saturday, september 18th

wavves

@ brandeis university, waltham

sunday, september 19th

thee oh sees

the human tail

thick shakes

@ the magic room gallery, brighton

sunday, september 19th

caribou

holy fuck

emeralds

@ the paradise

monday, september 20th

girlfriends

carnivores

weekend dads

@ o'brien's

tuesday, september 21st

superchunk

versus

@ royale boston

tuesday, september 21st

basia bulat

the acorn

john shade

@ tt the bears

tuesday, september 21st

sea wolf (alex acoustic)

sera cahoone

patrick park

@ the middle east upstairs

wednesday, september 22nd

phantogram

railbird

@ the paradise

wednesday, september 22nd

david bazan

the mynabirds

@ tt the bears

wednesday, september 22nd

field music

@ great scott

thursday, september 23rd

aloud (album release party!)

st. claire

old jack

with special emcee

poet/author james caroline

@ church of boston

thursday, september 23rd

stars

wild nothing

@ the house of blues

thursday, september 23rd

!!! (chk chk chk)

fol chen

@ the royale boston

thursday, september 23rd

bettie serveert

meandjoancollins

the painted lights

@ tt the bears

friday, september 24th

eels

@ the royale boston

saturday, september 25th

teenage fanclub

@ the royale boston

saturday, september 25th

james

ed harcourt

@ the paradise

sunday, september 26th

come (reunited!)

wussy

@ tt the bears

sunday, september 26th

mr. sister (debut album release!)

coyote kolb

tallahassee

@ great scott

sunday, september 26th

mates of state

@ the paradise

monday, september 27th

rogue wave

midlake

peter wolf crier

@ royale boston

tuesday, september 28th

lcd soundsystem

sleigh bells

@ the orpheum

tuesday, september 28th

best coast

male bonding

@ the middle east downstairs

wednesday, september 29th

quilt

paper castles

toothache

@ the lilypad

wednesday, september 29th

foals

esben + the witch

@ the paradise

thursday, september 30th

mc frontalot

@ tt the bears

thursday, september 30th

menomena

suckers

@ the royale boston

thursday + friday

sept 30th + oct 1st

built to spill

revolt revolt

pretty & nice

@ the paradise

friday, october 1st

the tallest man on earth

s. carey (of bon iver's band)

@ the somerville theatre

friday, october 1st

ra ra riot

chikita violenta

we barbarians

@ the royale boston

saturday, october 2nd

gayngs

(with bon iver's justin vernon)

glasser

@ the paradise

saturday, october 2nd

film school

the depreciation guild

static of the gods

night fruit

@ tt the bears

sunday, october 3rd

the xx

@ the orpheum

sunday, october 3rd

tom tom club

caravan of thieves

tony castles

@ the paradise

sunday, october 3rd

lost in the trees

@ tt the bears

tuesday, october 5th

the vaselines

jeffrey lewis

@ the paradise

tuesday, october 5th

chapterhouse

ulrich schnauss

@ the middle east downstairs

tuesday, october 5th

ratatat

dom

@ the house of blues boston

wednesday, october 6th

gorillaz

@ agganis arena

wednesday, october 6th

the hold steady

wintersleep

@ the royale boston

thursday, october 7th

the walkmen

a.a. bondy

blood feathers

@ the royale boston

friday, october 8th

death

@ the middle east downstairs

friday, october 8th

fountains of wayne

marshall crenshaw (solo)

@ the paradise

friday, october 8th

bell x1 (acoustic)

@ the brattle theatre

saturday, october 9th

paul f. tompkins

@ the brattle theatre

sunday, october 10th

deerhoof

xiu xiu

father murphy

first show @ the paramount!

sunday, october 10th

miike snow

@ the house of blues

sunday, october 10th

primus

mucca pazza

@ the orpheum

tuesday, october 12th

ingrid michaelson

@ the house of blues

wednesday, october 13th

dead kennedys

@ the paradise

thursday, october 14th

the thermals

cymbals eat guitars

@ the paradise

thursday, october 14th

the morning after girls

the lovetones

the december sound

ghost box orchestra

@ tt the bears

friday, october 15th

nick lowe + his band

graham parker (solo acoustic)

@ the somerville theatre

friday, october 15th

jimmy eat world

@ the house of blues

friday, october 15th

bowerbirds

death vessel

@ tt the bears

friday, october 15th

belle + sebastian

@ the wang theatre / citi center

saturday, october 16th

deerhunter

real estate

casino vs. japan

@ royale boston

sunday, october 17th

the henry clay people

the dig

@ tt the bears

monday, october 18th

greg dulli

(afghan whigs/twilight singers)

first-ever solo tour

with opener craig wedren

(of shudder to think)

@ the brattle theatre

monday, october 18th

bad religion

the bouncing souls

@ the house of blues

monday, october 18th

the drums

the hairs

@ the paradise

monday, october 18th

phoenix

two door cinema club

wavves

@ agganis arena

tuesday, october 19th

massive attack

thievery corporation

@ the orpheum

wednesday, october 20th

the pains of being pure at heart

yuck

eternal summers

@ the paradise

wednesday, october 20th

helmet

@ the middle east downstairs

sunday, october 22nd

gary numan

rasputina

playing 'the pleasure principle'

@ the paradise

saturday, october 23rd

local natives

the ruby suns

union line

@ the house of blues

sunday, october 24th

woven bones

frankie rose & the outs

@ tt the bears

monday, october 25th

the corin tucker band

hungry ghost

darren hanlon

@ the paradise

wednesday, october 27th

a sunny day in glasgow

candy claws

@ great scott

wednesday, october 27th

black prairie

(members of the decemberists)

sarah jarosz

@ the middle east upstairs

thursday, october 28th

the tt's halloween bash

with members of mean creek + campaign

for real time (as talking heads)

john powhida (as todd rundgren)

preacher roe (as guided by voices)

@ tt the bears

friday, october 29th

frightened rabbit

plants and animals

the phantom band

@ the paradise

saturday, october 30th

hallelujah the hills

magic magic

boy without god

@ great scott

sunday, october 31st

florence and the machine

the smith westerns

@ the house of blues

monday, november 1st

blonde redhead

pantha du prince

@ the paradise

monday, november 1st

social distortion

lucero

frank turner

@ the house of blues boston

tuesday, november 2nd

junip (jose gonzales)

sharon van etten

@ the royale boston

tuesday, november 2nd

black mountain

the black angels

@ the paradise

wednesday, november 3rd

the dandy warhols

blue giant

@ tt the bears

wednesday, november 3rd

land of talk

suuns

little scream

@ tt the bears

thursday, november 4th

through sunday, november 7th

the international pop overthrow

4 nights @ pa's lounge

thursday, november 4th

matt + kim

javelin

@ the house of blues

thursday, november 4th

blitzen trapper

@ the paradise

friday, november 5th

guided by voices

blitzen trapper

@ the paradise

sunday, november 7th

drivin 'n cryin

@ tt the bears

monday, november 8th

clinic

the fresh & onlys

@ the paradise

tuesday, november 9th

the morning benders

@ the paradise

thursday + friday

november 11th + 12th

sufjan stevens

@ the orpheum

thursday, november 11th

shearwater

horse feathers

damien jurado

anais mitchell

@ the house of blues

thursday, november 11th

deer tick

@ the royale boston

thursday, november 11th

mumford & sons

cadillac sky

king charles

@ the house of blues

friday, november 12th

bottomless pit

black helicopter

chris brokaw

@ the middle east downstairs

saturday, november 13th

roky erickson

@ the royale boston

saturday, november 13th

grinderman

(nick cave, warren ellis, + more)

@ the house of blues

sunday, november 14th

elizabeth mitchell (of ida)

and friends

(a children's show!)

4:30pm @ club passim

sunday, november 14th

man or astro-man?

@ the middle east downstairs

monday, november 15th

la roux

@ the house of blues

tuesday, november 16th

a night of springsteen covers

with chris keene (mean creek),

corin ashley, dave aaronoff,

brendan little, hilken mancini,

the dirty truckers, drew o'doherty,

and more to be announced

marking the release of the new

6-disk 'darkness on the edge of town'

box set @ tt the bears

tuesday, november 16th

the posies

brendan benson

aqueduct

@ the royale boston

wednesday, november 17th

cornershop

@ the middle east downstairs

thursday, november 18th

kate nash

@ the paradise

thursday, november 18th

bear in heaven

@ the middle east downstairs

friday, november 19th

township

the lights out

the organ beats

@ tt the bears

saturday, november 20th

delorean

lemonade

@ the middle east downstairs

wednesday, november 24th

idlewild

happy hollows

@ the middle east downstairs

thursday, december 2nd

director/actor kevin smith

@ the house of blues

saturday, december 4th

peter hook + the light

play joy division's "unknown pleasures"

@ the royale boston

saturday, december 4th

killing joke

@ the paradise

visit tourfilter for more shows

An indian summer sky shines brightly, a perfect weather week continues here in Boston. "Don't you just love the sun, doesn't it make you feel good all over?" Yes, Mr. Bazan, it surely does.

Warning: this post is all over the subject-matter map...

Time to set the TiVo: Interpol will be appearing on the Tonight Show next week, Friday, October 1st. Rilo Kiley visits Conan O'Brien the following Wednesday, October 6th.

Everyone's talking about the long-awaited Star Wars DVD release, it seems, and I can't help but acknowledge it in some way. Strange how such a massive part of my childhood evokes so little nostalgic love from me, thanks to the passage of time and a couple of super-weak prequels (weak-quels?). That said, I feel compelled to buy the new box set, if only for the supposedly ace documentary included on the fourth disc. I've seen the three films so many times that I hardly feel the need to see how Lucas has messed with them (sorry, 'fixed' them), but it would be nice to replace of the old videotapes.

Actually, I may watch them again just to see these much-needed changes. "Oh, stewardess? I speak Jedi."

Fellow Wes Anderson worshippers are counting down the days until The Life Aquatic hits the theaters. Kill a tiny bit of that time by watching the original 13 minute short film that his first movie, Bottle Rocket, sprang from. I knew it existed, and it's nice to finally find it online.

For all you budding RSS Feed addicts (and if you aren't, you should be), here's another one to add to your pull list: The snarky snobsters over at Pitchfork have oddly missed the xml train, so another reader pulled together his own Pitchfork RSS Feeds, one for news, another for reviews. Consider them subscribed.

It's kinda nice when the hype rings so true. I'm entirely blown away by The Arcade Fire's "Funeral" disc. The sucker is firmly stuck in my head after just a couple days in the player, and I just discovered they're playing the semi-small TT the Bears in November, and with the Hidden Cameras, no less. I'll be racing the hype over to TT's tonight for a couple tickets.

Boston-based author Robert B. Parker releases his latest hardcover detective story today, this one titled "Melancholy Baby". It's a Sunny Randall novel, one of three starring characters he rotates between books, the others being Boston detective Spenser and Paradise police chief Jesse Stone.

His last Jesse Stone book, Stone Cold, grabbed me more than his others have in years, so I'm hoping this one does the same. His books are relatively light reading, usually just a couple of days to blow through... but that's because I can't seem to put them down once I get going.

To promote this new one, he'll head out on a signing tour tomorrow, and it kicks off right across the street from where I work. Tomorrow, Friday the 24th, he'll be at Barnes & Noble in the Prudential Center, Boston. For more signing tour dates, check here.

Brian Michael Bendis is a freak. How one man writes so many comic books, and writes them all so well, is a complete mystery to me. The guy's output is so consistently high-caliber (on Daredevil, Powers, Ultimate Spider-Man, and more) that he must be on some kind of storytelling-steroids.

Here's a mini-biography of the man from the New York Times, written and drawn by Bendis himself (thanks, chromewaves). I highly recommend picking up my favorite of all his works, the four Alias collections.

Another mention of Green Magnet School. You already know they're reuniting for a Boston show on October 7th, right? And you already know that I just shared up their 1992 live set from the Sub Pop Vermonstress Fest, right?

But didja know there's an Anime video for the song "Windshield"? Well, neither did I. It's by Tom "the Fish" Guttadauro of Studio Three Lonely Kaiju, who's also one half of the local electronic duo Client/Server. Neato.

Do you get warm, retro-style feelings when you see the word "Pong". Does it bring ya back? Well, then you've gotta see this. Some crazy German built a two-player Pong machine. A physical Pong machine, no computer involved. I know, it makes no sense until you see the video. (thanks jason)

So, writer/director Chris Weitz (About a Boy, American Pie, played 'Chuck' in Chuck & Buck) has been chosen to helm the first of New Line's movie adaptations of Philip Pullman's much-revered His Dark Materials trilogy. (Haven't read them? Fix that.)

On first hearing this news, I was a bit unnerved, but now that I've read this lengthy interview with Weitz about his well-considered plans, I'm pretty dang excited. He claims the books "changed his life", and seems ready to devote himself fully to what's ahead, preserving not just the important parts of the books (he refused to condense the story into less than three films), but more importantly the messages behind them. He's met with Pullman, traveled to the Artic, scouted out London-area academies... he's all over it. Can't wait to hear casting news.

(In case you missed it, I posted a bit about the His Dark Materials London stage play back in March.)

Boston area film-fans listen up: ING Direct is hosting two free screenings of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, one on Friday, October 1st, 7PM at the Boston Common theater, the other at Millennium Park in West Roxbury at 7pm on Saturday, October 2. Not only is the movie free, but free popcorn and soda will be served. There's no need to RSVP, and you don't have to be an ING Direct customer to attend. You may, however, be required to turn on your heartlight. (sorry)

I have a special place in my heart for The Last Starfighter, the 1984 story of trailer-park videogamer turned reluctant space-pilot Alex Rogan, his crush-worthy girlfriend Mags, and jovial alien recruiter Centauri. So I was laughin' pretty hard at last weekend's Aqua Teen Hunger Force episode, which had Meatwad's videogame high score summoning the Mooninites to recruit him as a Moon Master.

I fully expected to hear news of a Last Starfighter movie remake sometime soon... but...um... a musical version? Yikes.

Starfighter trivia: A full two years before appearing in Stand By Me, geek-proud writer and former star-trekker Wil Wheaton had a part in the Last Starfighter, as a friend of Alex's younger brother. Alas, his part got cut.

Now that he's gettin' more famous here in the states, how will Ali G be able to keep fooling his celebrity interview subjects? Slate wonders that very thing. The answer: maybe more Borat and more Bruno. Works for me.

Hey, look, my friend Steve has a website. And it's got a dirty name that might get stuck in your work firewall. Who knew? Not me.

He's got a couple of no-budget Colin Clary videos posted up there right now, so check it.

The Boston Globe reviewed that Snow Patrol show we went to last week.

Online foreign commercials by some of your favorite directors? Cool. The fact that these commercials promote smoking? Not so cool. Ah well, still well worth a look. Jason has links to ads by David Lynch, the Coen Brothers, Roman Polanski, Wim Wenders, and Robert Altman. Hell of a lineup.

Curious about Doom 3, but haven't taken the plunge? Wondering if your computer is manly enough to even run the pretty thing? Then download the new demo to take a taste. I loved it at first, but after awhile it's becomes just another first person shooter. Granted, a damn fine looking one, but it's still run, gun, get scared, jump, gun, rinse, and repeat.

There's a new Mp3 Blog in town, and it's name is Neon Bubble.

I'm very much in the mood to relax out on the porch tonight, maybe watch some Sox, or do a little reading in the evening sun. On the other hand, I've got free tickets to an early screening of the zombie-romantic-comedy (aka zom-rom-com) Shaun of the Dead. Decisions, decisions. Whatever shall I do? Life's rough, ain't she?

posted by brad at 3:00 PM | direct link |