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boston area shows of note:


thursday, august 21st

yndi halda

caspian

irepress

@ tt the bears


friday, august 22nd

varsity drag

lump

charcoal lavage

jake and the jakes

@ o'briens


friday, august 22nd

obits (ex-hot snakes/rftc)

viva viva

dead cats dead rats

sunday morning music

@ the middle east


saturday, august 23rd

the soft drugs

higgins

the toothaches

drama queens

@ pa's lounge


saturday, august 23rd

amo joy!

franklin bruno

(from nothing painted blue)

one happy island (ep release!)

@ the lily pad


saturday, august 23rd

newbury comics / unnatural axe

30th anniversary bash

the meatmen, queers, nasties,

unnatural axe, sleazies

@ the middle east down


sunday, august 24th

don cabellero

ponytail

irepress

@ harper's ferry


tuesday, august 26th

the final installment of...

neil cleary's 'doozy'

a guest-packed august residency

@ the lizard lounge


wednesday, august 27th

liz phair performing

'exile in guyville'

@ the paradise


wednesday, august 27th

xiu xiu

prurient

@ the paradise


friday, august 29th

liz phair performs

'exile in guyville'

@ the paradise


monday, september 1st

the juan maclean

@ the middle east downstairs


wednesday, september 3rd

ryan's smashing life presents...

justice of the unicorns

tigers & monkeys

spanish armada

wild business

@ the middle east


friday, september 5th

silver jews

hallelujah the hills

who shot hollywood

@ the middle east downstairs


saturday, september 6th

my morning jacket

@ the bank of america pavilion


saturday, september 6th

matt pryor (get up kids)

kevin devine

mike fiore (faces on film)

@ harper's ferry


sunday, september 7th

ryan adams & the cardinals

@ the bank of america pavilion


tuesday, september 9th

paul weller

@ the berklee performance center


friday, september 12th

mission of burma

in-store performance

7pm @ newbury comics, newbury st.


friday, september 12th

buffalo tom

as part of the boston arts festival

@ christopher columbus park


saturday, september 13th

wfnx disorientation 2008

the kooks, flogging molly,

alkaline trio, rogue wave,

and more to be announced

@ bank of america pavilion


sunday, september 14th

lymbyc systym

this will destroy you

arms and sleepers

@ harper's ferry


monday, september 15th

lagwagon, mxpx,

only crime, & tat

@ harper's ferry


monday, september 15th

sunset rubdown

@ the middle east


monday, september 15th

james

@ the paradise


tuesday, september 16th

a place to bury strangers

@ the paradise


thursday, september 18th

the walkmen

@ the middle east downstairs


friday, september 19th

sigur ros

@ the bank of america pavilion


friday, september 19th to

sunday, september 21st

all tomorrow's parties

with my bloody valentine, low

built to spill, mogwai, shellac,

polvo, yo la tengo, lilys, autolux

dinosaur jr, mercury rev, & more

@ the catskills in nyc


saturday, september 20th

mike viola (solo)

(1st of 3 weekly residencies)

with guest blue and their

band, the major labels

@ the lizard lounge


saturday, september 20th

noah & the whale

@ toad


sunday, september 21st

the low lows

magic magic

ryan lee crosby

@ tt the bears


monday, september 22nd

the broken west

@ the middle east


monday, september 22nd

oxford collapse

love as laughter

takka takka

@ tt the bears


monday, september 22nd

mogwai

fuck buttons

@ the wilbur theatre


tuesday, september 23rd

writer dennis lehane

(release day for 'the given day')

@ the coolidge corner theatre


tuesday, september 23rd

weezer

angels & airwaves

tokyo police club

@ the tsongas arena


tuesday, september 23rd

cut copy

the presets

@ the paradise


wednesday, september 24th

joan as policewoman

@ the middle east


wednesday, september 24th

low

tulsa

@ the museum of fine arts boston


saturday, september 27th

mike viola (solo)

(2nd of 3 weekly residencies)

@ the lizard lounge


saturday, september 27th

built to spill

performing 'perfect from now on'

dinosaur jr.

meat puppets

@ the orpheum


sunday, september 28th

the bird and the bee

willoughby

@ great scott


sunday and monday

september 28th and 29th

ratatat

@ the paradise


thursday, september 30th

boston spaceships

(gbv's robert pollard)

big dipper

@ the paradise


thursday, september 30th

say hi

jukebox the ghost

@ the middle east


thursday & friday

october 2nd & 3rd

baltimore round robin

29 bands playing in a circle,

non-stop, one song at a time,

with you in the very center

with dan deacon, beach house,

creepers, the death set, adventure,

and everyone listed here

@ mass art


friday, october 3rd

death cab for cutie

@ agganis arena


friday, october 3rd

the fratellis

airborne toxic event

electric touch

@ the orpheum


saturday, october 4th

mike viola @ friends

(3rd of 3 weekly residencies)

@ the lizard lounge


sunday, october 5th

old 97s

@ the wilbur theatre


sunday, october 5th

pinback

@ the paradise


monday, october 6th

the wedding present

the jealous girlfriends

@ the middle east downstairs


monday, october 6th

fleet foxes

@ the somerville theatre


monday, october 6th

stereolab

monade

@ the paradise


tuesday, october 7th

liam finn

the veils

@ the paradise


wednesday, october 8th

wire

@ the middle east downstairs


thursday, october 9th

chuck ragan (of hot water music)

ben nichols (of lucero)

tim barry (of avail)

with guest jesse malin

@ the middle east


saturday, october 11th

the feelies

@ the roxy


sunday, october 12th

the residents

@ showcase live, foxboro


sunday, october 12th

the notwist

@ the roxy


sunday, october 12th

jamie lidell

@ the paradise


sunday, october 12th

against me!

ted leo & the pharmacists

the future of the left

@ the wilbur theatre


monday, october 13th

tv on the radio

the dirtbombs

@ the wilbur theatre


tuesday, october 14th

cold war kids

@ the paradise


thursday, october 16th

ben kweller

whitley

@ the paradise


thursday, october 16th

jonatha brooke

glen phillips

(from toad the wet sprocket)

@ the wilbur theatre


friday, october 17th

hallelujah the hills

wonderful spells

capstan shafts

@ tt the bears


friday, october 17th

jonathan richman

with drummer tommy larkin

@ the somerville theatre


saturday, october 18th

ra ra riot

walter meego

the morning benders

@ the middle east


sunday, october 19th

the spinto band

frightened rabbit

@ the middle east


monday, october 20th

magnetic morning

(adam swervedriver & sam interpol)

julie ocean

springhouse (w/jack rabid)

@ great scott


tuesday, october 21st

minus the bear

annuals

sylvie

@ the wilbur theatre


tuesday & wednesday

october 21st & 22nd

billy bragg

@ the somerville theatre


wednesday, october 22nd

yeasayer

@ the paradise


wednesday, october 22nd

lyle lovett & john hiatt

(acoustic, on stage together)

@ the orpheum


thursday, october 23rd

lykke li

@ the paradise


thursday, october 23rd

deerhoof

experimental dental school

@ the middle east down


friday, october 24th

fujiya & miyagi

@ the paradise


sunday, october 26th

broken social scene

land of talk

@ the wilbur theatre


monday, october 27th

matthew sweet

@ the paradise


wednesday, october 29th

legendary pink dots

@ the middle east down


thursday, october 30th

of montreal

@ the orpheum


friday, october 31st

the rumble strips

birdmonster

@ tt the bears


friday, october 31st

david byrne

performing the songs of byrne & eno

@ the wang center


saturday, november 1st

henry rollins (spoken word)

@ the orpheum


monday, november 3rd

coldplay

@ the td banknorth garden


sunday, november 9th

the hold steady

drive-by truckers

@ the orpheum


tuesday, november 11th

deerhunter

times new viking

the vivian girls

@ the paradise


wedneseday, november 12th

kings of leon

we are scientists

the whigs

@ the orpheum


tuesday, november 18th

m83

school of seven bells

@ the middle east down


thursday, november 20th

bishop allen

@ the middle east


saturday, december 13th

neil young

wilco

@ the dcu center, worcester


visit tourfilter for more shows




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Monday, December 18, 2006

You're So Off You're On

Poor, poor pitiful me. Struck down for four long days by a brutal cold/flu thing, on the couch downing ginger ale and sudafed, alternating between tivo'd episodes of Showtime's perfectly creepy Dexter and the genius that is The Venture Bros. Season 1 DVD. But I think I'm finally on the upswing, feeling ok enough to sit up and finish an actual post, just in time to head back to work and another Monday morning.

Before I start, allow me to pause for a programming note: The URL for the Almanac RSS feed has changed. Please act accordingly. Thank you.

Artists ahead include Kristin Hersh, Dinosaur Jr., the McCarricks, the New Pornographers, Mark Kozelek, Low, the Retribution Gospel Choir, Superchunk, the Janovitz Bros., and more...


Kristin Hersh's long-awaited next solo album, "Learn To Sing Like A Star", arrives on January 23rd from Yep Roc, and the first full mp3 has been let out into the world...


A video for the song is on its way, and is being filmed by Orrin Anderson, former drummer for Syrup USA, whose previous video credits include "Yo Yo Yo (Please Don't Fall In Love)" by +/-.

If you pre-order "Learn To Sing Like A Star" through the label, you'll immediately get access to three downloadable bonus mp3s: the originals "Windowpane" and "Blackstone", as well as a cover of "Poor Wayfaring Stranger", which may or may not be found on her second disc of Appalachian folks songs, "Murder, Misery, And Then Goodnight II", which should also be out sometime next year. (update: those three songs will also appear on the "In Shock" EP that will be released on 4AD early next month).

If you're hankering for more solo-KH, the Throwing Music Online Store has just released a new live set called "Mississippi Candlelight". It's an intimate document of a candle-lit, un-amplified evening with Kristin back on July 6, 2006 at Mississippi Studios in Portland, OR. While you're there, you can download a song called "I Don't Want Anything For Christmas", a benefit mp3 that's posted for a limited time. Various Portland, Oregon area artists, including Kristin, contributed vocals to this song, and all proceeds go to the Henderson House for Battered Women.


"In Shock" is one of many tracks on Kristin's upcoming disc that features the always-gorgeous string work of The McCarricks, the talented husband-and-wife team who have contributed arrangements to a long list of artists (Martin was also a full-time member of Therapy?). The duo has just made available the first official release of their own, an ultra-limited edition handmade "box", which you can order at their new online shop. From their website...
"We are proud to announce the arrival of our first CD for sale. Since music has been so devalued with the advent of downloading we decided we wanted to do something special for our first release so we have put together a limited edition box set which we have designed, printed and put together with our own fair hands. Kimberlee (McCarrick) spent many hours spraying the interior of each box and then embossing each with our logo. After that she hand printed the front of each box and even printed and assembled the cd wallets whilst Martin created all the design features. The Box Set entitled '3' contains a CD with 23 minutes of music, three postcards and a specially created black silk rosette."
Not a lot of music, but at a fairly low price of 10 british pounds (which includes shipping to anywhere in the world) and limited to just 200 copies, it's well worth it. Ordering details are here.


Dinosaur Jr. just finished up the latest installment of their ongoing reunion roadshow, with two weeks of dates on both sides of the Atlantic, and area now in a holiday break that will hopefully include some time working on their in-progress post-reunion album. They played at least two of those new songs on the latest dates, one fronted by J. Mascis and the other by Lou Barlow, and thanks to the band-sanctioned live-set-sharing site FreeSoFree.net, we can get a taste...

Mp3: Dinosaur Jr. - "This Is All I Came To Do"
(live in Northampton, MA on 11/30/06)

For the other new track, the untitled Barlow song, head to FreeSoFree, create an account, and check out either the November 29th Boston show or the November 30th stop in Northampton, MA. Both are available in either mp3 or flac format. You can also check out a video clip of "This Is All I Came To Do" on YouTube.


The self-released New Pornographers "Live!" album is now available at their online store, and I've listened to it a bunch since mine arrived a couple days ago. They're such a solid live band, buying the limited edition disc was a no brainer, and that was before I knew about the hidden bonus: at the very end of the unlisted 27 minute 13th track comes their impromptu cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams", recorded on October 12th, 2005 at NYC's Webster Hall. Neko Case is in fine form on the song, remembering nearly all the words on the fly, and Todd Fancey almost nails the guitar solo. I know that the New Pr0ns are mildly uptight about live file sharing (they really should take a lesson from Dino Jr.), so I'll keep this up for just a day or two...


Order The New Pornographers "Live!" right here before they're gone.


Speaking of mild paranoia, at least Mark Kozelek's ultra-strict prohibition of recording on his last solo tour (which stopped here in Boston last May) eventually made a small amount of sense: He didn't want anyone stepping on the recent release of the double-disc "Little Drummer Boy Live" on his own Caldo Verde Records imprint. That also explains why he was so obsessive about perfect intonation, and spent almost 1/3 of our show on between-song tuning time.

"Little Drummer Boy Live" is a nice collection of career-spanning Koz songs (with Red House Painters & Sun Kil Moon numbers aplenty, along with a few of those unfortunate Modest Mouse covers), although I do wish he had eased up a bit on his adopted guitar technique of all-finger-picking-all-the-time. I miss the dynamics and occasional soft strumming on many of his songs, and a lot of his material can end up blending together, especially over two discs or a lengthy live show. Maybe I'm too emotionally attached to his originals... I certainly shouldn't fault the man for wanting to re-interpret his work in a live setting. Glad he had his longtime bandmate Phil Carney along to add some depth by contributing second guitar, though. Do I sound like I'm complaining? Honestly, any Kozelek live appearance is a gift.

In deference to the man's desires, I never shared the recording of that MFA show, and now that the live album is out, I'll still not share any of the material he's released on it. But here, if you will, is something of a little 'bonus track' for fans, from Kozelek's May performance at the MFA Boston, a song that wasn't included on "Little Drummer Boy Live"...

Mp3: Mark Kozelek with Phil Carney - "Grace Cathedral Park"
(live at the MFA Boston, 5/26/2006)

Order your own copy of the beautiful Mark Kozelek live album via Caldo Verde.


It's been a very long time since there was a newsworthy reason to talk about Low, but all that will change in 2007 when Sub Pop releases their "Drums and Guns" disc in March. I've got very high hopes for the disc, as a few of the songs (like the stunning "Dragonfly") have long been in Low's live set rotation, and others made their way into shows by The Retribution Gospel Choir, a side-project that includes Low's Alan Sparhawk and Matt Livingstone, with sporadic appearances by Mr. Mark Kozelek.

While the studio, the presence of Mimi, and the skills of producer Dave Fridmann will certainly transform those songs from their live previews, they already hint at a stellar album ahead. If you do the torrent thing, and want to check out the RGC versions of future Low songs "Hatchet", "Breaker", and "Pretty People", head to this YouTube link, which has video of those three songs from a September 8th, 2005 show in Costa Mesa, CA.

The full video recordings of that show and another from the same tour made their way onto DimeADozen.org, so head there if you do the torrent thing. In addition to the Sparhawk-penned Low songs, Kozelek contributes a couple of his own to the setlist (RHP's "Make Like Paper" & SKM's "Salvador Sanchez"), joins in on some RGC originals, and collaborates on a few covers: "The Carpet Crawlers", the Stones "Moonlight Mile", and Pink Floyd's "Fearless".

You can hear The Retribution Gospel Choir's own songs at their MySpace page, and keep an eye out for the second limited edition tour EP (the first is long gone), which should be available sometime soon at the Chairkickers online store.


Far too long since anyone's been able to say this: Superchunk has hit the studio. Unfortunately it was just to lay down a pair of songs, but hey, we'll take what we can get. Excerpted from the December 14th entry on Mac McCaughan's Portastatic blog...
"Yesterday Superchunk went into the studio to record a new song for the Aqua Teen Hunger Force film & soundtrack (film out March 16)... we wrote the song specifically for Aqua Teens and recorded & mixed it in a day at Overdub Lane with John Plymale (Indoor Living, Laughter Guns EP, Summer of the Shark, Be Still Please). the working title of the song was in fact "Meatwad's Lament" but in the end the song became something called "Misfits and Mistakes"...

...also, while we were in the studio we recorded a demo of "Learned to Surf" (we played that at Irving Plaza a couple weeks ago) so we don't forget how it goes..."
He also calls "Misfits and Mistakes" a "toe-tapper". Of that, I have no doubt.


Another one to file under: "when worlds collide"...

Fans of both the Washington, DC music scene and the DC-based Redskins football franchise might have had a mild freakout if they came across the Week 14 DVOA ratings on the Fox Sports website. I would have missed it if not for the Teenbeat mailing list, but you've got to take a look at this (scroll down to the Redskins, #23)...
"23. REDSKINS 4-9 25 22 26 15 30 15
It's no surprise that there's some unrest among the Redskins fans. They put all their eggs in the Joe Gibbs basket, and the faith was not rewarded. I'm sure Daniel Snyder will try to solve the problem by throwing money at more free agents; it's one of the NFL's most predictable rites of spring. Which overrated wide receiver will the Redskins embrace this year? I shudder to think. Look at the make-up of this team, and you'll realize that the Redskins will always be a minor threat unless they can build some depth. There's really only one word to describe this franchise right now: fugazi."
Yes, that's at least nine DC-based bands name-dropped in a freakin' Fox football write-up. The byline for the article is Aaron Schatz, and if he's the man responsible for the summaries, then I say: Well played, sir, well played indeed.


Because Frank at Chromewaves is perhaps too modest to point out this recently-posted footage he's part of (or I missed it when he did), may I direct your attention to the full video recording of the panel he appeared on as part of the Future Of Music Policy Summit in Montreal last October. Titled "The New Deciders: Metafilters, Blogs, Podcasts", it also features CBC Radio 3's Grant Lawrence, Superchunk/Portastatic/Merge-man Mac McCaughan, RealNetwork's Tim Quirk, CBC Radio 2's Patti Schmidt, and Pitchfork's Ryan Schreiber.


Just a few of the good Boston area shows that are coming up in New Year, ones you'd do well to buy tickets for well in advance: Mark Eitzel with Drew O'Doherty in January, Midlake in February, Explosions in the Sky in March. I'm also keeping my fingers tightly crossed for the announcement of a February Sparklehorse date, since those tourdates have just started leaking out. Also exciting: That my friends in The Essex Green are teaming up with their Merge labelmates Camera Obscura for a tour that stops at the Paradise on January 27th. Can't wait for that one.


But before we hit '07, there are at least a couple can't-miss December shows: The first of those two Kimchee Records 10th Anniversary shows, and what has been dubbed "The Janovitz Brothers Christmas Spectacular" (or "Christmas Challenge"), which is happening this Saturday, Dec. 23rd at the Lizard Lounge in Cambridge. The family-full (and, as Bill says, "ill-conceived") evening will include all four Janovitz brothers (Bill from Buffalo Tom/Crown Victoria, Scott from Dragstrip Courage, Paul from Cold Water Flat, and Tommy of The Shout Abouts) performing not only a few Christmas songs, but "songs by famous brother acts such as the Everly Brothers, the Kinks, the Louvin Brothers, Bee Gees, Jackson 5, etc". There is no doubt that this will be a Christmas Eve eve well-spent, and since there are no advanced tickets, arrive extra early. That way you can also catch The Shout Abouts, who are opening up the show.


Congrats to the winners of the Silkworm contest I ran a couple weeks back: Brian in Brooklyn & Taylor in North Vancouver, who each won SKWM's new "Chokes!" EP and the Silkworm tribute disc, as well as Scott in Brooklyn & Sebastian in Somerville, who both got the tribute. Your packages should already be in your mailbox. I'll be picking the winner of my latest giveaway, a copy of the The Shipping News limited "Claws" single, in the next day or two.


In this, the so-called giving season (which should be all year 'round, really), there are a couple of families that could use your help, in the form of some donated dollars...
  • If you're a regular reader of music-related blogs and news sites, you've probably recently heard about Callum Robbins, the infant son of former-Jawbox/Burning Airlines and current-Channels frontman J. Robbins and his wife Janet. He was born with Type I Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) in January, and was diagnosed in September. The family holds out hope that Cal will be able to beat the odds and live a longer-than-expected life, but this can only happen with expensive alternative treatments that insurance won't cover. So those around them have rallied to help raise money, and have set up a way to donate right here. While I've never met J., some mutual friends speak so highly of the guy, and at the very least I owe the man for so many hours of good songs, not only from his own bands, but from ones he's recorded. Read some recent words from J. on his MySpace page, and drop some kind cash in the donation box if you can.

  • A truly heart-breaking tragedy took place a few weeks ago when 35 year-old CNET writer and podcaster James Kim, his wife Kati, and their two young daughters, Penelope & Sabine, became stranded during bad weather in the Oregon wilderness while driving home to San Francisco after a Thanksgiving trip north. After spending 7 days in their car, James decided his only choice was to set out and seek help for his starving family. Two days later, rescuers found the vehicle, with Kati and the girls alive and well. Everyone hoped for a happy ending as the search continued, but two more long days later, the body of James Kim was found.

    James was one of my favorite parts of the old TechTV channel, back when he'd do gadget reviews on the much-missed Screen Savers program. I can't say it any simpler than I just liked the guy, dug his writing and delivery, his whole friendly on-screen demeanor. I followed the story of his family's disappearance closely, was elated when Kati and the girls were found, and equally crushed when I learned he didn't make it. "The James Kim Memorial Fund" has been established in his name, so contribute if you're able.

  • I'll end this one on a surreal note with something perfectly strange, especially if you're a fan of early Sonic Youth. Here's The Young at Heart Chorus performing SY's "Schizophrenia" (via Brian)...


    And so the world gets just a little bit weirder.

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