almanac mp3 archives


monthly archives


flickr photos


the almanac last.fm page
got one of your own?


the almanac rss feed
or use the feedburner link


obligatory myspace page


the 'nac frappr map


bands i've been in


'my life or some dream'
mp3 compilation


the almanac faq
contact info and more


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




Weblog Commenting by HaloScan.com

This page is powered by Blogger Pro.

Blog Directory - Blogged

Wednesday, March 05, 2008

Midweek Music Miscellany

Yeah, I'm still here. And still stuck in serious work-mode. But I've got five seconds to spare, so I'll dust this place off a bit and get down to it...


Congrats to the winners of the various contests I've run over the past couple weeks: Brian from Somerville got to check out Wye Oak at the Middle East (as did I, they were great, and I'll definitely be sharing up my recording). Ellen, also from S-ville, got the 7" and two tix to Taken By Trees at the MFA. And Roxbury resident Beth and a friend should be joining us (and you?) to see Syme tonight at the Paradise Lounge. For an idea of what we're in for, have a listen to this live Syme set and interview over at Jamnow.


Heads up: The Night Marchers are coming to town, and pre-sale tickets are on sale now. In case you missed my recent mention of these guys, it's the new project from former Rocket From The Crypt / Hot Snakes / Drive Like Jehu genius John Reis and Snakes bassist Gar Wood. The band will make their Boston-area debut at the Middle East Upstairs on Thursday, May 8th, and in a space that small it's a guaranteed sell-out. While Ticket&$*#er tix go on sale at 10am tomorrow right here, you can buy pre-sale will-call tickets here at this very moment. Go go go. For you non-Bostonians, more tour dates are here.


As if I wasn't already a proud enough papa, my little 8-month old rocker-in-training was totally digging on The Clash Live: Revolution Rock Monday night on PBS. The documentary, comprised primarily of killer live footage from throughout their existence (from small clubs to Shea Stadium), was pretty damn thrilling, and most of the songs had little B doing the pogo in my lap. If you want to do some mini-moshing of your own, Boston-area PBS station WGBH will re-air the doc Thursday at 2:30am and Friday night at 10:30pm (other airdates and cities listed here), or you can pick up the DVD release with lots of extra Clash content on April 15th.

And oh, sweet irony: Joe Strummer sings "... gimme Sony, so cheap and real phony" on a DVD that's brought to you by, you guessed it, the Sony/BMG/Epic megacorp. And that's the promo clip they're using, a fantastic performance of "The Magnificent Seven" on Tom Snyder. Crucial viewing.


Major props to Timedoor for shining a little spotlight on one of my old-skool Boston faves, Scruffy the Cat. Looks like the four mp3s that they shared are down, but they link a video for "Oh Baby" that you should check out. Loved those guys, and they were a staple of Randy and my late-80s WWPV radio show. And now I've got "You Dirty Rat" in my head.


Boston's own Boy in Static did an eight-date tour with Freezepop last month, and are starting to share some live video from the trip. The first clip is for a new song, "Osaka", recorded live in Indianapolis. I owe Ashley and her guest DJ spot at WMBR (when she played "Where It Ends") for turning me on to BiS big-time.


On this gray, rainy March day, listening to some Idaho suits me just right. Got me thinking that we could really use some new stuff from Mr. Jeff Martin, but for now we can settle for a two-disc re-release of his Forbidden EP and Alas full-length, which includes a bunch of extra tracks that he recorded 10 years back with friend John Voscamp.

Idaho just wrapped up a European tour last week with lots of dates in Germany and France, and I'm optimistic we'll see some U.S. dates in the first half of this year. According to the Idaho message board, Jeff misses playing Boston, and says a show here in "early '08 should work out". Fingers crossed that was more than wishful thinking.

For your own Idaho fix, check out some YouTube videos of a live performance at the Knitting Factory in 1996, including "Skyscrape", "Stare At The Sky", and "Get You Back". You can also grab some Idaho rarities from the excellent Sliding Past fansite (just click the Unreleased link there).


Despite the fact that I haven't enjoyed much of their work over the past couple, um, decades, and have little patience left for pretension, I went and checked out the new "U23D" IMAX film based on several strong recommendations and lots of hyperbole. Well, add me to the list of the totally impressed. I was completely floored by the visuals, and even blown away by the audio -- surround sound used better than I'd ever heard it -- if the camera was center-stage, you hear the guitar from your right, bass from your left, drums behind you, vox right next to you. As the camera floats away, the sound pans perfectly, the crowd surges as you dip in and out of it. Totally intense.

"Immersive" is the word I've seen thrown around the most, and it's true. My words really can't do the experience justice (try Eliot Van Buskirk's Wired review for better words), and honestly, even if you're U2-averse, you should see this thing just to dream of your favorite bands captured in this way. It will be many, many years before this kind of experience can be had in your living room, so make the effort to get out there to an IMAX theater and see it.


Hot damn, at last we've got new music from The Notwist, courtesy of City Slang...


The Notwist's "The Devil, You + Me" is out in the UK in May, and in the US the following month.


I'll end with a little viewer's vent:

From the very first episode, aired on June 2nd, 2002, I've been a seriously and emotionally-invested fan of The Wire. Even with my Tivo, it became must-watch-that-night television, until the fourth year, when I tried a little experiment -- I somehow mustered up the willpower to record and save every episode of season 4, and when it was over, I had my own little Wire weekend, watching all 13 hours over the course of 2 days. And it was glorious. Like devouring the best page-turner in one sitting, I lost myself in it, and was a perfect wreck when it faded out. So I decided to do the same this year, for the fifth and final story, which started unfolding in January. The last episode ever, the 10th of this season, airs this Sunday on HBO. And shortly after that, my 10-hour marathon begins.

So why is this a vent when I've got such a guaranteed good time ahead? Well, thanks to certain entertainment sites, a couple of major plot points have been totally blown for me, in headlines. You read that right. As the Wire's popularity increased and peaked in this final year, avoiding spoilers became more difficult, but not impossible -- I just skipped every article and review. But avoiding headlines? Those shi*tbirds. To quote Clay Davis: "Sheeeeeeiiit."





random mp3s of the moment
week of august 4th, 2008

swervedriver
live at the paradise
in boston, ma
on june 10th, 2008

latest flickr pics

my latest listening...


recent posts on the 'nac...


latest comments...


the almanac archives

search the almanac


on the mp3 player

on the screen

on the nightstand

Widget_logo

other boston-area music blogs


boston music media


boston live show info


music blogroll


music audiocasts


surf-worthy


frequent haunts

Locations of visitors to this page