sunday, march 14th
a special screening of the
white stripes tour documentary
"under the great white northern lights"
free admission / prize pack drawing
10pm @ the otherside cafe
sunday, march 14th
carbon leaf
@ the paradise
monday, march 15th
one happy island
standard fare
summer cats
@ great scott
monday, march 15th
letting up despite great faults
the brother kite
plumerai
singing bridges
@ the middle east upstairs
tuesday, march 16th
bacchus king
croquet
cathy cathodic
the ugly fucklings
@ the middle east upstairs
wednesday, march 17th
joanna newsom
@ the sanders theatre, harvard
wednesday, march 17th
henry rollins (spoken word)
@ the somerville theatre
thursday, march 18th
apollo sunshine
drug rug
@ the paradise
friday, march 19th
i, pistol
mascara
planetoid
forgetful jones
@ tt the bears
saturday, march 20th
the whitehaus family blastfest
needy visions, manners,
morgan shaker, avi jacob,
and many more
@ cambridge ymca theatre
saturday, march 20th
air
am
@ berklee performance center
sunday, march 21st
the clientele
field music
@ great scott
wednesday, march 24th
extraneous noise presents...
golden spurs
spirit kid
some say fire
the novel ideas
@ the middle east upstairs
thursday, march 25th
"thursday night alright!" with
the beatings
aloud
action camp
hello ninja
@ great scott
thursday, march 25th
the donnas
@ the paradise
friday, march 26th
eldridge rodriguez (the beatings)
ryan lee crosby
ted billings (age rings/hot protestants)
@ the somerville armory
friday, march 26th
basia bulat
marissa nadler
lady lamb the beekeeper
@ tt the bears
saturday, march 27th
your say party! we say die!
the new collisions
static of the gods (cd release)
@ tt the bears
saturday, march 27th
the big pink
a place to bury strangers
magic magic
@ the paradise
saturday, march 27th
spoon
deerhunter
@ the house of blues
sunday, march 28th
beach house
bachelorette
@ the paradise
monday, march 29th
the soft pack
nodzzz
beaters
@ great scott
tuesday, march 30th
shearwater
wye oak
hospital ships
@ tt the bears
tuesday, march 30th
manchester orchestra
the features
biffy clyro
o'brother
@ the paradise
wednesday, march 31st
japandroids
love is all
girlfriends
@ the middle east downstairs
wednesday, march 31st
miike snow
delorean
@ the paradise
wednesday, march 31st
a sunny day in glasgow
pants yell!
bearstronaut
@ great scott
thursday, april 1st
girls
dum dum girls
@ the paradise
friday, april 2nd
the xx
jj (late show only)
two shows @ the paradise
friday, april 2nd
drive-by truckers
lucero
langhorne slim
@ the house of blues
saturday, april 3rd
cassavettes
the grownup noise
kingsley flood (cd release)
spouse
@ the middle east upstairs
saturday, april 3rd
black rebel motorcycle club
alberta cross
@ the house of blues
saturday, april 3rd
nada surf
dawn landes & the hounds
@ the paradise
sunday, april 4th
serena maneesh
depreciation guild
black fortress of opium
@ tt the bears
tuesday, april 6th
wilco
@ the orpheum
tuesday, april 6th
ben fold & a piano
kate miller-heidke
@ the house of blues
wednesday, april 7th
florence & the machine
@ the paradise
wednesday, april 7th
rocky votolato
brooke waggoner
@ great scott
thursday, april 8th
faces on film
hands & knees
st. claire (cd release!)
mr. sister
@ tt the bears
thursday, april 8th
thom yorke + atoms for peace
flying lotus
@ the citi/wang theatre
friday, april 9th
midlake
@ the paradise
saturday, april 10th
xiu xiu
tune-yards
@ the middle east downstairs
saturday, april 10th
ted leo & the pharmacists
obits
screaming females
@ the paradise
saturday, april 10th
pissed jeans
confines
sqrm
@ great scott
sunday, april 11th
fanfarlo
lawrence arabia
robert francis
@ the paradise
monday, april 12th
the wedding present
play their 1989 lp 'bizarro'
with openers girl in a coma
@ the middle east downstairs
monday, april 12th
titus andronicus
the babies
@ great scott
thursday, april 15th
jakob dylan with guests
neko case + kelly hogan
@ the wilbur theatre
thursday, april 15th
red sparowes
doomriders
@ the middle east downstairs
friday, april 16th
guillermo sexo
freddie t and the people
(ex-june of 44 / hoover)
travels
ghost box orchestra
@ pa's lounge
friday, april 16th
have nots (vinyl release!)
the appreciation post
razors in the night
wicked whiskey
the swaggerin growlers
@ tt the bears
saturday, april 17th
kaki king
an horse
@ the middle east downstairs
saturday, april 17th
the morning benders
miniature tigers
@ tt the bears
sunday, april 18th
heavy trash (w/jon spencer)
the konks
the cobra-matics
@ tt the bears
sunday, april 18th
the thermals
past lives
@ the middle east downstairs
monday, april 19th
trans am
@ the middle east downstairs
tuesday, april 20th
owen pallett (aka final fantasy)
@ the ica boston
tuesday, april 20th
elvis costello & the sugarcanes
@ the orpheum
tuesday, april 20th
the low anthem
timber timbre
@ the paradise
tuesday, april 20th
quasi
let's wrestle
@ the middle east downstairs
wednesday, april 21st
the church
special 30th anniversary
acoustic career retrospective
@ the somerville armory
wednesday, april 21st through
wednesday, april 28th
the 8th annual independent
film festival of boston
@ various boston area theatres
including the somerville + brattle
thursday, april 22nd
the mary onettes
@ great scott
saturday, april 24th
graham parker with
the figgs
@ johnny d's, somerville
saturday, april 24th
los campesinos!
here we go magic
@ the paradise
sunday, april 25th
harlem
@ the great scott
monday, april 26th
echo + the bunneymen
hatcham social
@ the paradise
wednesday, april 28th
gogol bordello
devotchka
jesse malin
st. mark's social
@ the house of blues
thursday, april 29th
frightened rabbit
@ the paradise
friday, april 30th
the everyday visuals
the lights out
the flying machines
aloud
@ tt the bears
friday, april 30th
corinne bailey ray
@ the house of blues
friday, april 30th
the album leaf
sea wolf
@ the paradise
wednesday, april 28th
little boots
dragonette
fan death
@ the middle east downstairs
saturday, may 1st
white rabbits
here we go magic
@ the paradise
monday, may 3rd
yeasayer
sleigh bells
@ the paradise
tuesday, may 4th
gregory & the hawk
lady lamb the beekeeper
@ tt the bears
tuesday & wednesday
may 4th & 5th
public image ltd.
@ the royale (formerly the roxy)
wednesday & thursday
may 5th & 6th
jonsi (from sigur ros)
@ the house of blues
thursday, may 6th
shout out louds
@ the paradise
friday, may 7th
ok go
earl greyhound
robert francis
@ the paradise
saturday, may 8th
local natives
@ great scott
tuesday & wednesday
may 11th & 12th
dr. dog
deer tick
@ the paradise
thursday, may 13th
small brown bike
bridge and tunnel
your skull my closet
wallcreeper
@ great scott
saturday, may 22nd
killing joke
@ the paradise
tuesday, may 18th
spectrum (featuring sonic boom
from spacemen 3 + e.a.r.)
with the broken river prophet
@ the middle east upstairs
tuesday, may 25th
the smittens
allo darlin'
one happy island
hearts!attack
a smile and a ribbon
horowitz
@ the lizard lounge
wednesday, may 26th
reverend horton heat
cracker
miss derringer
@ the house of blues
friday, may 28th
mono
the twilight sad
@ the middle east downstairs
wednesday, june 2nd
kings of convenience
franklin for short
@ the paradise
wednesday, june 2nd
ryan bingham & the dead horses
@ tt the bears
wednesday & thursday
june 2nd & 3rd
the national
@ the house of blues
friday, june 4th
brian jonestown massacre
@ the paradise
friday, june 18th
reigning sound
movers & shakers
triplethick
@ tt the bears
saturday, june 19th
james taylor
carole king
@ the garden
sunday + monday
june 20th + 21st
isis
melvins
totimoshi
@ the paradise
thursday + saturday
august 19th + 21st
tom petty + the heartbreakers
my morning jacket
@ the comcast center
visit tourfilter for more shows
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Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Spotlit: Silkworm Tribute + the Soft Drugs
Trying something new here on the 'Nac, where I take a couple discs or artists I've been listening to lately and shine a brief but bright spotlight on them. Reasons can be timely (a tour, a new release), nostalgic (a rediscovered old fave), or entirely random, but it's all music I feel deserves your utmost attention...  The world lost Silkworm when the world lost Michael Dahlquist, a prince of a man and one hell of a drummer, a guy who attacked his kit with the same passion he led his life. It's no surprise that there was already a Silkworm covers project in the works well before Michael passed away, or that it's become as much a tribute to the man as it has to his beloved band. The collection is called " An Idiot To Not Appreciate Your Time - The Songs of Silkworm", and it's a labor of DIY love all the way. Pulled together by a motivated fan, with contributions from messageboard loyalists, far-away followers, and a bunch of music-making, SKWM-loving friends, it compiles 29 varied tracks over two discs, and the thing is just 8 bucks including shipping (proceeds go to Michael's charities of choice, the Jane Addams Hull House and the Nature Conservancy). There are far too many great versions on the tribute to list 'em all, but personal highlights so far are Treasure State's cover of ' Something Hyper', the Kadane Bros. ( Bedhead / The New Year) with their piano-based ' Clean'd Me Out', The Bismarck's ' The Cigarette Lighters', a French language take on ' Beyond Repair' by Grand Hotel... oh hell, I'm not even past the first 7 tracks. Take my word for it, I've yet to hear a tribute so infused with love and respect for the artist it covers. From the names you might recognize, to the ones you've never heard of, everyone's admiration for one of the best bands there ever was is obvious. The Silkworm tribute record site has a few of the covers available to download, so here they are with their original counterparts... The Kyle Sowashes - 'Slave Wages' Silkworm - 'Slave Wages'
Temper - 'Ticket Tulane' Silkworm - 'Ticket Tulane'
Trestle Music - 'Don't Make Plans Friday' Silkworm - 'Don't Make Plans Friday' The complete tracklisting... 'An Idiot To Not Appreciate Your Time: The Songs of Silkworm'
disc one... 01. Navigations - 'Ritz Dance' 02. Matt & Bubba Kadane - 'Clean'd Me Out' 03. Grand Hotel - 'Beyond Repair' 04. T.T. Diamond - 'Contempt' 05. The Bills - 'Garden City Blues' 06. Treasure State - 'Something Hyper' 07. The Bismarck - 'The Cigarette Lighters' 08. Bass 666 - 'That's Entertainment' 09. Mirror America - 'Couldn't You Wait?' 10. Suzanne the Plan - 'Grotto of Miracles' 11. Tre Orsi - 'Insomnia' 12. toomanyhelicopters - 'Drunk' 13. The Nectarines - 'Miracle Mile' 14. The Soft Drugs - 'Give Me Some Skin'
disc two... 01. Heather Whinna & Steve Albini - 'Bourbon Beard' 02. .22 - 'Raised By Tigers' 03. Chin & Lester & Franks - 'Treat the New Guy Right' 04. LUFF - 'Quicksand' 05. mtar - 'Is She A Sign?' 06. The Kyle Sowashes - 'Slave Wages' 07. The Family Ghost - 'Oh, How We Laughed' 08. Tiny Monk - 'Raging Bull' 09. The Turnarounders - 'Young' 10. Temper - 'Ticket Tulane' 11. Maurice Rickard - 'Shitty Little Yacht' 12. J. Britt Robisheaux - 'Pearly Gates' 13. Joe Sepi - 'A Cockfight of Feelings' 14. Volume - 'Around the Outline' 15. Trestle - 'Don't Make Plans This Friday' While you may quickly recognize names like the Kadanes or Steve Albini, there are some other fine artists behind the less-familiar monikers. Here are just a few details, courtesy of compilation curator Isaac himself... - Bass 666 is 2/3 of a legendary North Dakota band called Straphanger (the longest running NoDak band, forming and playing since 1997).
- Tre Orsi features the sound man for the New Year, Shearwater, and many other great Texas bands. They also include a member of Okkervil River/Shearwater and a member of Slobberbone.
- Navigations hail from Finland, and their frontman is also Trestle Music.
- Grand Hotel/Temper are from France, and are actually the same band (one sings in English and the other in French).
- .22 are from Chicago/Boise, Idaho and Brian O. is now a member of Bottomless Pit.
- The Bismarck are from Seattle, but all the members grew up in NoDak.
- Treasure State is another band from Seattle featuring Mr. Mercer of Joel RL Phelps and the Downer Trio. Mr. Mercer's brother is the lead singer for the Shins, if anyone cares (and according to Isaac: "Mitch, Treasure State's drummer, may be the biggest SKWM fan I've ever met").
- The Bills features Mike Dahlquist's brother on drums.
- Mirror America is John Lee (from aMinature) and friends.
- The Soft Drugs is TW Walsh, formerly of Pedro the Lion and Headphones (more on TW below).
- mtar is Michael the Angry Russian. He owns Russian Recording in Nashville, IN.
- Joe Sepi is an all around great dude and a wizened vet of many, many punk rock bands.
- Suzanne the Plan is a guy named Nick McGaw.
And that's barely half the contributors. So here's the thing: Just 1,000 copies of this thing were printed, and when they're gone, they're gone. No do-overs. I'm guessing they won't last much longer than the Touch & Go Anniversary shows this weekend, where Silkworm's Andy Cohen & Tim Midgett are playing a set of songs, as is their new band, Bottomless Pit. So head here and order one up straightaway. And fellow fans, have no fear, 'cuz this ain't the last time you'll be able to buy some Silkworm songs: there's one more Silkworm disc coming in October from the 12xu label, an EP titled ' Chokes'. An unintended, and bittersweet, swan song of sorts.
The artist that brings disc one of the Silkworm tribute to a beautiful close is The Soft Drugs, the name under which longtime solo songwriter (and former Pedro the Lion/ Headphones member) T.W. Walsh has chosen to release his latest recordings. He gets the honor of singing the collection's title in the last lingering lyrics of ' Give Me Some Skin' ('You never saw what I'd become, an idiot to not appreciate your time'), and he delivers the line perfectly. The Soft Drug's excellent debut EP, ' In Moderation' (which christens Walsh's own imprint, Tower of Song) came out a couple months back, and while some summer releases can get lost in the deluge of discs that arrive in autumn, this five-track fix deserves a lasting listen. There's a comfort found in these songs, in their meticulously warm crafting, and it's as ideal for a Sunday morning spin as it is for a late-night mellow out. The EP reveals a impressive attention to multi-track detail, with each song taking on a whole new life between a pair of headphones. While the production may be warm, the song subjects are weighty ones, as Walsh sings of his own self-doubt, strained relationships, driving dilemmas, and growing older. Maybe I'm reading a little too much into the material, since I know a bit about T.W.'s struggle to balance his craft, his day job, and his family life, but there's much to relate to for anyone trying to juggle those very things as time carries us along. A couple songs, including ' Brand New Name', have an almost mid-70s soul feel, with bouncing bass lines, gentle keyboard lines, distant falsetto harmonies. I picked up even a hint of Gerry Rafferty's solo side, with a noticeable (though less strained) Neil Young quality to Walsh's vocals (and for the few who'll get the reference, his voice more closely resembles Tom Lawson of the recently-reunited Pants). It's worth noting that while it's clearly T.W.'s project, he enlisted the assistance of some talented friends to play along, including ex-Pedro and current- Senator Senator bassist Ken Maiuri, and ace journeyman drummer/solo artist Frank Lenz behind the kit. Other contributors include Ester Drang's James McAlister on percussion, Seldom/ Crystal Skulls drummer Casey Foubert on drums & guitar for a track, and Crystal Skull's frontman Christian Wargo for a bit of backing vox. Frequent T.W. collaborators Frank Padellaro and Pedro's David Bazan (who, interestingly, stopped using a band name for his releases around the same time that T.W. started using one) also pop up in the credits, collectively providing the indispensable services of "online poker, wine, carpentry, and conspiracy theories". 'In Moderation' is the best kind of EP: There's a cohesiveness in production and songwriting that works ideally in a five-song dose. That said, and assuming a full length may come eventually, I would love to hear T.W. break things up with a full-on rocker (his guitar playing, especially on the great bridge of ' Defending the Paint', shows he can go there), or maybe sparser song or two, like the acoustic Silkworm cover. Either way, I look forward to more; sometimes that fade out on track five comes far too soon, so I hit up The Soft Drugs ' free monthly demos' page for more. Or I start searching online stores for his hard-to-find 1999 debut 'How We Spend Our Days, the 2001 follow-up 'Blue Laws', or 2002's 'Pollensongs' EP. I was an idiot to not appreciate them the first time. Two songs from the 'In Moderation' EP... Mp3: The Soft Drugs - 'Defending the Paint' Mp3: The Soft Drugs - 'Don't Sweat It' Order it here. post soundtrack: the album leaf - 'into the blue again'
posted by brad at 7:03 AM | direct link | rss (1:2)
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sparklehorse
live at the paradise
in boston, mass.
on monday, february 26th, 2009

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