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saturday, march 13th

butch walker & the black widows

will dailey

@ the paradise

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

@ berklee performance center

sunday, march 21st

the clientele

field music

@ great scott

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

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

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

Greetings. Here's a quick info-fix on what has always been my least favorite day of the week. The Boomtown Rats were one day off...

Artists mentioned below include Maritime, The One AM Radio, the Soft Drugs, Eldridge Rodriguez of the Beatings, Tom Thumb, Annie Lynch & the Beekeepers, Yo La Tengo, Come (Chris Brokaw and Thalia Zedek), Seana Carmody, Dylan in the Movies, Tara Jane O'Neil, American Music Club, Big Dipper, The Settings Suns (Swervedriver meets Interpol), Air Miami, The House of Love, The James Rocket, Kristin Hersh, and her brand new CASHMusic program.

I also bring up Hellboy creator Mike Mignola, the new Houston Redux live music sharing blog, and this Thursday's Tourfilter DJ Night. Off we go...

First, a few musical goings-on in the Boston area this week deserve your attention...

Maritime and The One AM Radio, who have both released excellent albums this year, bring their short team-up tour to the Middle East Upstairs in Cambridge tomorrow night. And lucky us, we get the Soft Drugs to start off the night, so arrive early as not to miss 'em. Can only hope that the crowds in Meadville, Pennsylvania (on Friday) and Pontiac, Michigan (on Saturday) get an opener half as good. Details on those two remaining Maritime/One AM Radio shows here.

On Thursday night, Nov. 29th, I'll be returning to River Gods in Central Square for another set as part of the monthly Tourfilter DJ Night, which have us playing nothing but songs from bands coming to town in the coming month or so. I'm up first, at 9pm, followed by Chris from TF at 11-ish (yes, as a sleep-deprived new dad, I pull the earlier shift). Last month's was canceled due to the Sox and their World Series run (not a bad excuse, really), so I'm a little extra-psyched to get my DJ fix this time around.

And tonight, fellow Boston-area music blogger Ryan's Smashing Life presents an all acoustic evening at the ultra-cozy Lily Pad in Cambridge's Inman Square. Three performers on tap: Eldridge Rodriguez of the Beatings, Tom Thumb, and Annie Lynch & the Beekeepers. It's all ages, and the doors open at 7 o'clock.

I mentioned a few weeks back that Hellboy creator/writer/artist Mike Mignola will be coming to Boston's Institute of Contemporary Art on April 3rd, 2008 to chat about his past, present, and future work. Well, tickets have now gone on sale to the general public, so if you're a fan, grab yours before they're gone.

Y'know those Yo La Tengo live Mp3s from the MFA I shared last week? Well, thanks to the Phoenix's On The Download, there are now a few video counterparts. Shared two-camera footage includes their Dylan cover, "4th Time Around", "Mr. Tough", and a personal fave, "Stockholm Syndrome". OTD also shared up a video of the on-stage reunion of Come members Chris Brokaw and Thalia Zedek performing their "Hurricane" at the Middle East's 20th Anniversary show a couple weeks back. Great stuff, and here's hoping we get to see the video for the other Come song they played, "Submerge", as well.

Some new songs up on MySpace from some Boston-area faves: Seana Carmody (ex-Syrup USA / Swirlies) has posted "Oh Tokyo" and "Plenty of Stars", and Dylan in the Movies has shared a new one called "Massachusetts Avenue".

Tara Jane O'Neil has just released "Wings. Strings. Meridians." through Yeti Publishing. The book/cd combo collects a bunch of TJO's wonderful paintings and drawings, along with a full-length disc of home recordings, live tracks, and film score work. You can also order up a limited edition signed & numbered version that comes with three silkscreened prints. A perfect gift for fellow TJO completests.

Wolfgang's Vault, which typically streams live shows recorded long ago, surprisingly has the recent Dylan tribute "I'm Not There" up for free listening pleasure. J. Mascis, Calexico (who back a bunch of the performers), Jon Doe, Yo La Tengo, Lee Ranaldo & the Million Dollar Bashers (who back many others), and lots more took part. Stream it here.

The new (and long-awaited) American Music Club full-lengther, "The Golden Age", will be out in February, thanks to Merge, and they've let fly a preview Mp3...

Mp3: American Music Club -
"All The Lost Souls Welcome You To San Francisco"

Here's the full tracklist: "All My Love", "The Victory Choir", "The Decibels and The Little Pills", "The Sleeping Beauty", "The Stars", "All The Lost Souls Welcome You To San Francisco", "Who You Are", "The Windows On The World", "One Step Ahead", "The Dance", "I Know That's Not Really You", "On My Way", and "The Grand Duchess Of San Francisco".

Merge will also be putting out "Supercluster: The Big Dipper Anthology" in March, a 3 disc set that brings together 48 re-mastered tracks from the late-80s/early 90s Boston-based band, along with a video and lengthy liner notes (by WFMU DJ Tom Scharpling and the band themselves). The original line-up of the band will reunite on East Coast stages in April to mark the occasion, with a possibility of West Coast dates later on. Here's a sonic taste, originally from the 1987 "Heavens" LP, and now from the box set...

Mp3: Big Dipper - "She's Fetching"

The full tracklisting for Big Dipper's "Supercluster" collection can be found here.

And as long as we're talkin' about Merge, I should mention that they've just started their annual Merge Records Charity Auction, from which all proceeds will be donated to Oxfam America and the Food Bank of Central & Eastern NC. Bookmark their their ebay page to bid on silk-screened posters autographed by Robert Pollard, M. Ward, the Arcade Fire, Oakley Hall, Spoon, the Rosebuds, David Kilgour & the Heavy 8's, Superchunk, Portastatic, Destroyer, and more. They'll be auctioned off two-at-a-time, and they've started off with the Arcade Fire and Kilgour prints.

Now that all those reissues are out of the way, Mr. Billy Bragg gets back to releasing new music with his first album in six years, "Mr. Love & Justice", on March 3rd. Tracklist: "I Keep Faith", "I Almost Killed You", "M For Me", "The Beach is Free", "Sing Their Souls Back Home", "You Make Me Brave", "Something Happened", "Mr Love & Justice", "If You Ever Leave", "O Freedom", "The Johnny Carcinogenic Show", and "Farm Boy" (via NME).

Swervedriver's Adam Franklin & Interpol drummer Sam Fogarino have digitally released the first fruits of their collaboration, The Settings Suns. Their debut EP is now up on iTunes, with a physical release to follow "hot on its heels", and a full-length planned for sometime in 2008. Busy year ahead for Franklin, what with Swervedriver reuniting to tour and all.

Teenbeat Records continues their "Teenbeat Archival CD" series with new pressings of Air Miami's never-officially-issued original 1994 cassettes on disc. The first remastered and repacked disc, "Fourteen Songs", is Teenbeat mainman Mark Robinson (Unrest/Flin Flon/etc) and Bridget Cross (Unrest) with a drum machine, while the second, "Sixteen Songs", brings in a few different drummers (Eggs' John Rickman and Ben Currier, the Ropers' Alex Hacker).

The tracklist for "Fourteen Songs": "Sweet As a Candy Bar", "Airplane Rider", "Bubble Shield", "Stop Sign", "Special Angel", "The Event Horizon", "Agent Molder is Here", "Adidas My Ass"", "Niagara Falls is Frozen", "Neely", "Nicola Six", "Fight Song", "Fox Sighting", and "Definitely Beachy". "Sixteen Songs" contains: "Neely", "Special Angel", "World Cup Fever", "Stop Sign", "Definitely Beachy", "Airplane Rider", "Bubble Shield", "I Hate Milk", "The Event Horizon", "Pucker", "Adidas My Ass", "Dean", "Fight Song", "Afternoon Train", "Dade County Cops Don't Quit", "Special (Reprise)" and the hidden track "Niagara Falls Is Frozen".

As planned, the still-reunited House of Love performed the entirety of their seminal self-titled disc (the one that leads off with "Christine") at London's Koko in late September as part of the "Don't Look Back" series, and threw in some extra gifts at the end. Full setlist here. They also played Dublin a couple days later, and lead singer Guy Chadwick was interviewed before both shows. Lucky us, I just discovered that someone has shared a recording of the "Don't Look Back" set on DimeADozen. Hell yes. Time to start up Azureus.

I've been remiss in not mentioning that John Van, a fellow Seam devotee whom I met while out in Chicago for the Touch & Go anniversary fest last year, is now graciously sharing lots of his personal live recording collection at his new blog, Houston Redux (so named because most of the shows were recorded in his home of Houston). Recent highlights include a 2003 Sigur Ros set and a Blonde Redhead set from 2000. Keep a close and frequent eye on the site, as the files are shared for a short time, and you may have already missed out on some killer stuff.

James Roy (who used to play bass in the band Saint Bastard, among others), has been recording and sharing songs under the name The James Rocket for awhile now, and his latest offering has really grabbed me. Here 'tis...

Mp3: The James Rocket - "The Clothes Make the Man"

Lastly, but very importantly, Kristin Hersh has officially kick-started a new model for releasing her work called "CASHMusic", which stands for "Coalition of Artists & Stake Holders". She's the pilot artist for what will hopefully be a growing group of music-makers offering their output directly to fans under a Creative Commons license in a variety of digital formats. The inaugural song, "Slippershell", was posted just yesterday, and is not just available as an Mp3 and in lossless flac format, but as a ProTools stem that allows fans to remix the track as they wish (links to mixes are already popping up on the Throwing Music forum). Available with each shared song will also be downloadable cover artwork, lyrics, and later on, demo versions.

Like the oft-discussed Radiohead model, you can pay what you want for the songs, which will arrive monthly, either through a one-time donation or a subscription model (which will get you extra goodies). The entire arrangement is based on a closer, more trusting relationship between artists and fans, and it's pretty damn exciting. Head over there, do some reading, some downloading, and if you're a music fan who truly believes in supporting its creators, a little donating. If KH ain't your cuppa tea, maybe someone who is will join the coalition in the future.

By the way, Kristin has also just released the wonderful Toby Snax, a children's book that arrived just in time for gift-giving season. As both a new dad and a new uncle, I'm all over that action.

See you on Thursday night at River Gods...

posted by brad at 12:32 PM | direct link | rss (1 :2) |