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recommended boston area events

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






Friday, September 30, 2005

Rocking the Routine
I'm not one of those bloggers who shares information about what I do for work. Regular readers know I only go so far as to whine about how busy things are here. You'll never find me dishing details, 'cuz it's just not something I find all that appropriate, necessary, or frankly very interesting. Well, it might be interesting for me, but I know it sure wouldn't be for you. I keep my online life and my cube-dwelling days as separate as possible...

So let me just say that yesterday was not like any other day here at the ol' workplace. The building is still buzzing, it's a little hard to focus, the times they are a-changin'. Or maybe they aren't. Time will tell. My working world has suddenly shifted, and I'll leave it at that.


Oh, a new personal pledge: Since the Almanac has never had what anyone could consider a 'regular schedule' for posts, except for the fact that new mp3s usually appear Monday-ish, I've decided to set myself a little goal.

Starting now, I'm sticking to at least two big posts per week: Music on Mondays, and a big ol' collection of links and news on Thursdays. That's just a minimum, though, so it certainly won't prevent me from rambling whenever I dang well please. Mondays and Thursdays, though? Always. That's the plan, anyway.

Alright, before the weekend hits, let's do this thing...


Great show on tap for tomorrow night here in Boston, what with former Guided By Voices guitarist guy Doug Gillard playing at Cambridge's Lizard Lounge as part of NEMO. I'm very psyched to hear him play songs from his excellent solo disc, 'Salamander'. Joining him in the lineup are the also-pretty-excellent Dirty On Purpose from NYC, along with Doveman, Celebrity Pilots, and Snowleopards.

The show is actually a donewaiting.com showcase, and I'm pretty into that 'cuz I've been reading Robert Duffy's site for quite awhile now. He's started up his own label called Sunken Treasure, and their first release is by the afforementioned Celebrity Pilots. Mr. Duffy will be appeared at a Saturday afternoon NEMO panel as well called 'Creating a Buzz', so if you're into that sort of thing, do go and check it out.


Kochalkaholic is a website dedicated to all things James-Kochalka-related; his music, his comics, his daily online diary strip, you name it. Two of my favorite people, Colin Clary & Jason Cooley, were interviewed by site-keeper Alan David Doane thanks to their frequent collaborations with James. For Colin's interview, head here, and for Jason's click this.


Speaking of Colin, one of his bands, The Smittens, just released their second disc 'A Little Revolution' on North of January records. I've got it, and it's the exact opposite of a sophomore slump. Near perfect pop from five of the nicest people you could meet.

They'll be playing this weekend as part of Popfest! New England 2005 out in Northampton, MA. I'm hoping that work doesn't get in the way, so I can drive out there and catch not just them, but the brilliant Trembling Blue Stars, who will supposedly be playing their very last live show there. Bigtime bummer, that is.


Another fest I have a far less likely chance of attending: Record label 4AD's 25th Anniversary celebration in London. What a lineup...
November 17th - TV On The Radio plus special guests (@ The Scala)
November 18th - Minotaur Shock & Magnetophone plus special guests (@ The Luminaire)
November 19th - The Breeders plus special guests (@ Blackheath Halls)
November 20th - The Breeders plus special guests (@ Blackheath Halls)
November 21th - Kristin Hersh performing the songs of Throwing Muses (@ The Scala)
November 22th - Kristin Hersh performing songs from Hips And Makers onwards (@ The Scala)
November 23th - The Mountain Goats plus special guests (@ Bush Hall)
November 24th - Celebration plus special guests (@ The Water Rats)
November 25th - Mojave 3 & Mark Kozelek (@ Conway Hall)
November 27th - Blonde Redhead & Johann Johannsson (@ The Scala)
I was lucky enough to attend 4AD's '13 Year Itch', which was their 1993 13th anniversary party, and it was one of the best weeks of live music of my life. I can feel this new one pulling me over the ocean, and I might just start looking into airline fares...


The early 90s shoegazing scene gets a full-on tribute with the just-released 'Never Lose That Feeling #1', a spiffy-looking collection of covers. Songs written by Ride, Curve, My Bloody Valentine, Swervedriver, Slowdive, Pale Saints, Ultra Vivid Scene, Moose, Spiritualized and more, covered by the likes of Andrew Kenny (from American Analog Set), Windermere, Amusement Parks On Fire, Air Formation, and Ecstasy Of Saint Theresa. Great songs selections, can't wait to hear them all.

For four of the songs, head to this myspace page, and for a review of the collection, hit up Drowned in Sound.


Bob Nanna (ex-Friction, Braid, Hey Mercedes) is playing out under the moniker The City on Film, and soon Redder Records will release his 'American Diary', an EP derived from his many cross-country road trips. Redder was kind enough to send along an mp3 link to this track, 'Pony's Last Trick', so take a listen.


Also coming out soon on Redder is the debut disc from The Tiny Amps, titled 'Trill & Swagger'. Judging by a preview track, I'm gonna love the thing. Check out the song 'Dance on a Crowded Floor' for yourself right here. I can't believe I've been missing their Boston area shows for so long, and I'm really gonna have to fix that.


As Jackie kindly mentioned in an earlier comment, Bell Orchestre and Clogs are coming to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts in early November. There's some member crossover in those bands between The Arcade Fire and The National, so the buzz buzz buzz will likely get loud, and tickets will definitely disappear. If you wanna go, get clickin'.


Speaking of The National, Vincent Moon has some video downloads available for their 'Lit Up' and 'Daughters of the Soho Riots', along with the Clogs 'Lantern'.


Want some more easy Sigur R�s downloads? Check out Sonic Plague for a clip of their appearance on the Late Late Show awhile back, along with mp3s from their 2001 gig at Boston's Berklee Performance Center.


Glad to read more about the upcoming reissue of Explosions in the Sky's first disc on Temporary Residence. Want want want. Go grab an mp3 from it, and read of their contribution to the Travels in Constants EP series while you're there.


The new Supergrass album, 'Road to Rouen', came out earlier this week, and you can listen to an album sampler here. I lost track of them for years, but they've certainly mellowed with age. Not sure what I think about that.. seems to be an entirely different band from the 'Caught By The Fuzz' days, but I fully intend to give the new one a little time to sink in.

The first video off the disc is 'St. Petersburg', and here's a ton of links to various flavors of it: Windows Media 100 / Windows Media 300 / Realmedia 100 / Realmedia 300 / Quicktime 100 / Quicktime 300 / Quicktime 750


Attention Boston-area fans of funny-girl Sarah Silverman: She's coming to town as part of the Boston Jewish Film Fest, screening her film 'Sarah Silverman: Jesus Is Magic'. It was directed by the uber-talented Liam Lynch (who is also directing the upcoming Tenacious D movie), and I'm just dyin' to see it. Tickets will be available starting this Monday morning, October 3rd, and the festival takes place from November 2nd to the 13th.


I've got comic writer and novelist Greg Rucka on the brain lately after checking out his newly redesigned website and learning that his second Queen & Country hardcover, 'Private Wars', is coming out in October. I feel compelled to shake his hand when he comes to town this weekend as part of the first Wizard World Boston comic convention. I'd love to see a couple of my favorite artists, John Cassaday and David Mack, as well, but I've got to be in a very particular mood in order to tolerate the massive throng of fandom that'll be gathered over in the Bayside Expo center. We'll see if that mood hits me tomorrow.


Another comic-y bit of news: Carnivale (a damn good show that I'm still kinda bitter about losing) creator Daniel Knauf has been tapped to write Iron Man. His six-issue stint will begin in spring 2006. Now, it's been over a decade since I've read a solo Iron Man book, but his involvement is enough to get me on board. Ink me intrigued.

Hey, if it does well, can someone get him to crank out a Carnivale continuation in comic form? How about a freakin' novel? Hell, I'd even take a two-paragraph post on a messageboard, Mr. Knauf. I've gotta know what happened to Justin! The fantastic (but unplanned) finale of that show left us with the worst unanswered questions since "Where's Annie?". Painful.


Also painful? The one and only David Lynch will be in Boston tomorrow night, giving a talk entitled 'CONSCIOUSNESS, CREATIVITY, and the BRAIN', along with quantum physicist Dr. John Hagelin and neuroscientist Dr. Fred Travis. Now, that's not painful, although it might hurt your brain. What smarts is that it's Students Only, general public be damned. Curses!


The USA network has decided to bring back sci-fi series The 4400 for a third season. I'm glad to hear it, especially after the cliffhangin' finale of season two, although I wouldn't exactly have been crushed otherwise... while it's certainly a solid show, you won't catch me raving.


Dood. The PC demo for Call of Duty 2 is out. I loves me some WWII first person shooter action, and this one is supposed to raise the bar. Perfectly timed for the weekend, it is.


One of my fave Boston authors, Dennis Lehane (Mystic River, the Kenzie & Gennaro novels, etc), is currently teaching down at his Florida alma mater, St. Petersburg's Eckerd College, and this article reveals that he's written a play called 'Coronado' that will be performed down there in April. Also shared is a little bit of info on his next novel, which I'm eagerly awaiting. The relevant bit...
Lehane continues to write while teaching.

For the time being, he has retired the quirky detective duo, Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro, who are the protagonists in several of his novels.

He is at work on an epic novel, centering on the 1919 Boston police strike but containing a national sweep. It might be the first of a trilogy or perhaps a four-book series, he said.

And it's tough going.

"Absolutely brutal," he said. "I'm earning my paycheck on this one."

It's working title?

Lehane doesn't reveal such things.

"One of my superstitions," he said.
Sounds great, can't wait. In other Lehane news, this new interview with A History of Violence screenwriter Josh Olsen ends with this exciting tid-bit...
"...the next thing I�m doing after [a project called Monster] is directing an adaptation of a Dennis Lehane short story called Until Gwen ."
I've read that short story, and it's killer. Good news all around. Oh, and A History of Violence was amazing, by the way. All those four-star reviews don't lie.


Another of my favorite Boston fiction writers, Robert B. Parker, has a new Spenser hardcover called 'School Days' out this week, and he's making a few east coast appearances to do a little reading and signing. Check here to see if he's going to be near you.


I can't seem to get off the subject of my favorite fiction. Here's a fantastic Time Magazine interview that teams up Joss Whedon and Neil Gaiman to mark today's release of Whedon's Firefly film, Serenity, and Gaiman's own Mirrormask movie (as well as Neil's new novel, Anansi Boys, which will debut at #1 on the NYTimes bestseller list). I'll be seeing both movies this weekend, although I did already catch a preview of Serenity a few months back. It's excellent, and more than worth your hard earned dollars. I'll be doing my part to pump up the box office totals so we end up with a sequel, and I feel lucky to be in one of the few cities that gets Mirrormask on its first weekend, so I'll be at the Kendall sometime, at least when I'm not watching the Red Sox fight the Yanks for the division. Good times.

Oh, and for more Whedony goodness, here's a little interview with Mr. Sunnydale in Boston's own Weekly Dig.


I've finally updated the blogroll in the right hand column over there, expanding my 'music, mostly' links list by adding some more of my favorite places. I've been so dependent on my rss reader that I sometimes forget that thing is over there. You'll probably notice that I actually added a 'previous posts' lists as well. Only took me a few years.


A great big thankyouthankyouthankyou to the kind surfers who have donated towards the Making Strides Breast Cancer Walk that Amie and I are doing in a couple weeks. You already helped me blow away my initial modest goal, so I've raised it slightly higher. If anyone else out there wants to pledge online, it'd be most appreciated by not just me, but the rest of Team Genevieve.


As promised, on Monday I'll be posting AminA's set from the Boston Opera House a couple weeks back, when they opened for Sigur Ros. Sounds great, looking forward to sharing it. Until then...











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