Yes, another link-burst, filled with the various and the sundry...
For a city that's cruelly passed over by the occasional cool tour (by bands that feel NYC is close enough to count), you really can't beat Boston's good fortune lately. Not only are we getting that visit in June from the reunited
Swervedriver, but we're going to be graced by the presence of the almighty
Polvo just a couple weeks later. On June 20th, the reunited North Carolinians will hit the
Middle East Downstairs, and tickets are
already on sale.
Wye Oak is coming back to town, but this time you'll be able to spend time with their excellent debut disc before they return. Next week,
Merge will release
"If Children", and a month later, on May 4th, the Baltimore duo plays Allston's
Great Scott with openers
Drew O'Doherty and
Hands and Knees. Tickets can be bought
here, and I'll also be giving away a pair as the show gets closer.
I've spent a lot of time with "If Children", and I've no doubt it'll end up high on my faves of the year list (that's saying a lot with all the great stuff that's come out so far, and what's still ahead). If my praise, or the
live songs I offered up a few weeks ago, aren't enough to convince you, have a listen to the two Mp3s that Merge has made available for preview...
Mp3: Wye Oak - "I Don't Feel Young"
Mp3: Wye Oak - "Warning"
Another show at Great Scott, and one that will likely pack the place to the rafters: Former
Sunny Day Real Estate and
Fire Theft frontman
Jeremy Enigk teams up for a show with
Damien Jurado on Saturday night, May 31st. Tickets
here. Unless there's something new coming up soon, Jeremy will be hawking his third solo album,
"World Waits", which came out last August on his own
Lewis Hollow label, and Damien will probably play lots of songs from his next full-length, which
he said was 'nearing completion' in January.
Sleepyhead continues to reawaken, releasing new recordings in the wake of their return to live stages last fall after a three-year absence. The (now based out of) West Roxbury trio have just let loose two songs exclusively through esteemed record store
Other Music's new
digital shop, and you can
buy them here right after you stream each track ("
Red Letter Daze" and "
The Family Tree") on MySpace. Which you'll do, as they're both great songs. "
Red Letter Daze" will become the title cut from their eventual fifth full-length, which should be out later this year. So nice to have them back, and right here in town where more live shows are likely. But hang in there, non-Bostonians, as summertime should see the band traveling a bit.
Great Scott keeps the good stuff coming with yet another should-be-good show: Atlanta's
Snowden returns to the same stage they blew me away on back in 2006, when they play GS on Sunday, May 18th with
Colour Revolt and
The Epochs in support. It's been a couple years since they released their
"Anti-Anti" album, so I'm glad to read on guitarist
David Payne's blog that they'll be trying out "a lot of new material" on the
18-date tour. Grab tickets for that one
here, and again, I'll have a pair to give away as well.
Fifty percent of
Fugazi will be visiting the Boston area this spring, albeit separately, what with
Joe Lally playing a show in May, and
Ian Mackaye coming to town next week for a free and open-to-the-public
discussion at
Brandeis.
Ian's appearance, which has doors opening at 7:00 in Schwartz Hall, is part of the school's
"Bernstein Festival of the Creative Arts", and is presented by the
Punk, Rock n' Roll Club. Because, really, what other club did you think would be presenting it?
Lally's May 23rd show is upstairs at the
Middle East, and opening is Geoff Farina's
Glorytellers, so we're talking sell-out (Lally, lally, lally, get your
tickets here. And if you get that reference, you're old, too). Joe's latest long-player is last November's
"Nothing Is Underrated", which I'm embarrassed to say I haven't yet heard. Must remedy that soon.
Really nice
write-up on Brian Sullivan and his
Dylan In The Movies over at
the Phoenix. His song "
Massachusetts Avenue" popped up in my random playlist the other day and reminded me of how much I'm looking forward to his proper full-length debut (it's been way too long since the 2005 "Feel The Pull" EP). Glad to read in that article that he hopes to have the album, which will have guest vocals from
the Watson Twins, out in May. Add my hopes to the pile. Stream "
Massachusetts Avenue", another new one, as well as songs from that debut EP, at
MySpace.
There's a fairly unique show happening this Tuesday in Somerville at
PA's Lounge, when Washington DC's
These United States comes to town. The band, which consists of three main members, is nearing the end of 33 shows in 33 cities - with 33 different lineups. In every 'burg they hit, they're recruiting area musicians to sit in with them, so every single night promises to be something special. According to the band, this was to be no improv-style someone-grab-a-tamborine mess, but a rehearsed affair with pre-show practices and set tweaks. For the PA's show, we may see members of openers
Pretty & Nice take part, but beyond that, it's anyone's guess... which is the whole point. Anyone seen them elsewhere yet? How was your city's version?
For those in the
remaining locations (which after Somerville includes Bard College, NYC, Brooklyn, Baltimore, and finally home to DC), here's a T.U.S. track to prepare yourself...
Mp3: These United States - "First Sight"
The band's debut album, "A Picture of the Three of Us at the Gate to the Garden of Eden", can and should be purchased straight from
What Are Records, or from the band at one of those remaining shows. Confluence: As I'm typing this, T.U.S. just started playing live at this very moment on our beloved
WOXY. Look for that archived soon.
So
John Vanderslice played
the Paradise last night with
Stephen Malkmus & his Jicks, and no, I wasn't there. Such are the sacrifices this novice dad must make. But I'll have another chance to see JV this Monday when he plays the far-more-intimate
Oxfam Cafe at
Tufts in Medford. Bonus:
The Soft Drugs are opening. Now, the Oxfam isn't exactly my preferred place to see shows (usually cramped, no stage, no view... like I said, 'intimate'),
but I may have to brave this one.
Students only, unfortunately. Looks like my decision is made for me.
Well, at least I can listen to NYCtaper's
excellent recording of last Sunday's Vanderslice show at the Mercury Lounge. Another fine offering from my ally to the south.
South's fourth full-length,
"You Are Here", is out on April 15th via
bluhammock music/
Young American Recordings, and they're playing Great Scott a couple weeks later to show it off. Mark May 1st down in your datebook, when they'll team up with
The Silver State and
Johnny Lloyd Rollins for another fine
Fenway Recordings-presented evening. Tickets will be available
here.
For an idea of what's to come on South's "You Are Here", have a listen...
Mp3: South - "Better Things"
Stream: South - "Wasted"
Got some good news in my inbox yesterday: My pre-order for the latest
Teenbeat Records release ships out today, so I'll have it in my hot hands very soon. It's the debut full-length from
Maybe It's Reno, which is the name Bridget Cross has chosen to release her new solo recordings under. The one-time
Velocity Girl frontwoman and former
Unrest/
Air Miami bassist/singer isn't exactly stripped down on this one, though, as she's got a couple familiar faces along for the ride: Her old Unrest teammates, Teenbeat head
Mark Robinson and drummer
Phil Krauth, join her on seven of the album's ten tracks. Can't wait to hear what the results sound like. While the album isn't officially 'out' until April 22nd,
order yours here and I'd wager it'll show up straightaway.
This Tuesday, Boston's own
Hallelujah The Hills will share up the seven song
"Prepare To Qualify" EP on their website, for the affordable price of absolutely free (and with printable artwork, no less). The digital collection pulls together five non-album tracks the band has trickled out at random online outlets over the past year (places like the Village Voice, Largehearted Boy, & Stereogum), along with a couple previously unreleased cuts: "
When Night Falls", and a live version of "(
You Better Hope You) Die Before Me". If you're one of those remaining freaks (like yours truly) who is compelled to hold something in your greedy mitts, some physical copies of the EP will be available to buy through
Misra Records and at HtH shows.
One of those shows is next Saturday, April 12th, at Great Scott (jeez, Great Scott must be butter), which stands as the official EP release event, and features their friends in
Ho-Ag. But noooo, Ho-Ag won't be doing something as simple as opening up... they'll also be combining with HtH, Transformer-like, to make a 12-part mega-machine of rock dubbed
Hallelujah The Ho-Ag.
Pretty & Nice and
Thunderhole will be opening up as well, with the between-band soundtrack being provided by DJ Mark Pearson of the almighty
Neptune. Tickets
here.
I'm as surprised as anyone that in 2008 I was excited enough about a new
R.E.M. album to buy the disc on the day it was released. And so I did. And as I said after I heard the preview stream,
"Accelerate" is rocking me old school. To mark their return to catchy choruses and distortion pedals, here are a few recent live Mp3s from the ancient Athenians (I kid, I kid)...
Mp3: R.E.M. - "Munich" (Editors cover on BBC1)
Mp3: R.E.M. - "Second Guessing" (live at Schuba's SxSW / NPR)
Mp3: R.E.M. - "Auctioneer" (live at Schuba's SxSW / NPR)
Mp3: R.E.M. - "Fall On Me" (live at Schuba's SxSW / NPR)
Also rocking me still is that Alan-Sparhawk-fronted
Retribution Gospel Choir album, and you can now download a companion live set of the March 8th Duluth, MN release show over at the
Live Music Archive. And remember, after some dates overseas in April, RGC will play stateside in June, including a stop in Cambridge at the Middle East on Thursday, June 19th. Tickets
here or cheaper at the
MidEast box office.
Kristin Hersh did a
Daytrotter session back in March that aired a few days back, performing four songs including the old
Throwing Muses track "
Juno".
Have a sketchy
YouTube video of
the Cure performing a newer song called "
A Boy I Never Knew". Hopefully that won't be the only new one they share when they play the
Agganis Arena here in Boston next month.
Long as I'm getting all nostalgic, here, have a look at the details for the upcoming Rhino early-era
Replacements reissues. I am, uncontrollably, fully on board for those wallet-drainers.
Alright, I have to wrap this up, as it's time to hit the road: It's a banner week for personal favorites here in Boston -- last night was
Hellboy creator
Mike Mignola being interviewed by collaborator
Christopher Golden at the ICA Boston, tomorrow I get to see
Travels play their first area live show
ever at PA's with
the Broken River Prophet, and right now I'm heading out on a rainy walk to Harvard to catch that
panel focusing on
The Wire that includes creator
David Simon. Truly a time to celebrate those whose mere existence makes my life better.
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