Bradley’s Almanac

Explore the Musical Space…

Posted on September 7, 2004 at 1:59 pm | No Comments

Got that new Walking Concert disc in my headphones, making the day go down real easy. Standout songs… Studio Space (clockin’ in at one forty-six, aww yeah), The Animals (so rockin), Hands Up! (Not about arm-stretched enthusiasm, but an ih-home robbery), Audrey (so poppy), Calypso Slide (so smoooove), hell, most of the songs are keepers. Go out n’ get it.

“your action figure collection

is fillin’ up the kitchen,

but they’re not helpin’…

no warm plastic superhero treatment”

– walking concert, “hands up!”

Amie, my own little shining light, won us two free tickets to see a special acoustic Snow Patrol set at ZuZu next Monday. Just sixty people. How cool is that? Gonna try to record that sucker, I am I am.

Between this Walking Concert disc, the new Twilight Singers covers cd, Rilo Kiley’s stellar “More Adventurous”, and the heartbreaking final Elliott Smith album, my ears are running on overload. So, so sonically spoiled.

I’m having a real tough time listening to the Elliott Smith record… it’s like spending time with a ghost, maybe reading too much into lyrics that probably mean exactly what they say. So painful. “From a Basement on the Hill” is an amazing collection of songs, but then again he rarely wrote anything I disliked, so that’s no surprise. But the added, nearly unbearable, weight that his loss adds to it… well, if you’re an Elliott fan, you get it. If you’re not, I sound like a melodramatic sap. Either way, I’m so glad we’re all getting to hear this… and I’m gonna miss him, and a lost lifetime of his new work, like hell.

The album will be released on October 19th. Until then, visit Some Songs, a newish repository of Elliott’s live performances.

Rilo Kiley‘s website has been relaunched with the release of the new record, and they’ve put their kinda-cute new “It’s a Hit” video up there to mark the occasion. Reminds me, I still have to get tickets to their October 5th show here in Boston… it seemed so far away, now, not so much. Oh, and look, live acoustic performance (audio & video) on KCRW here.

And yet another thing I have to buy tickets to… The Twilight Singers are coming back, hitting the Middle East on October 15th. Another sell-out, fer sure. But their live show makes the late-night squeeze worth suffering through. Now that’s entertainment.

Tickets, tickets, and more tickets… the Boston Film Festival just put all of theirs on-sale through Fandango (which I usually shy away from on principal… stoopid ads. Rahhrrr!). I’ve already picked up a couple to see Silver City. John Sayles and Chris Cooper last teamed up on Lone Star, and that’s one of my favorite films… no way I’m missing another one of their team ups. Cooper plays Dickie Pillager, fictional Colorado gubernatorial candidate. Gotta love fake promotional websites… there’s even a MeetUp link. Aces.

PopFest! New England 2004 has just posted a list confirmed bands, if not a complete schedule, and it’s lookin’ pretty good. My Favorite, Baskervilles, The Smittens, The Consultants, Shumai, Pants Yell!, superfallingstars, Colin Clary & the Magogs, The A.V. Club, Spanish for Hitchiking, Snoozer, Cannonball Jane, The Metric Mile, Brasilia, and My Teenage Stride. And that’s just half of the lineup expected for the early November Northampton, MA fest. I’m just hoping it won’t only be a celebration of pop music, but of a brand new president. Wouldn’t that be somethin?

Comments

Leave a Reply





  • BOSTON-AREA LIVE SHOW ACTION
    Saturday, December 20th
    The Del Fuegos
    early & late shows
    @ City Winery

    Sunday, December 21st
    Samantha Fish
    Cedric Burnside
    Jon Spencer
    @ the Wilbur

    Saturday, December 27th
    John Oliver
    @ MGM Music Hall

    Sunday, December 28th
    The Felice Brothers
    Charlotte Cornfield
    @ the Sinclair

    Monday & Tuesday
    December 29th & 30th
    The Disco Biscuits
    Monday @ the Sinclair
    Tuesday @ the Royale

    Thursday, January 8th
    Ms. Ezra Furman
    doing what she wants
    with Ryan Walsh
    (of Hallelujah the Hills)
    opening with a solo set
    @ the Rockwell

    Wednesday, January 14th
    Bishop Allen
    Mates of State
    @ the Sinclair

    Thursday, January 15th
    Cate Le Bon
    @ the Sinclair

    Thursday, January 15th
    Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
    "Piano & Voice" performance
    @ the MFA Boston

    Saturday, January 17th
    Silver Screams
    Static Friction
    Screw Cart
    Fear is a Mind Killer
    @ the Midway Cafe

    Monday, January 19th
    Shame
    @ Brighton Music Hall

    Thursday, January 22nd
    Bill Murray and His Blood Brothers
    @ the House of Blues

    Thursday, January 27th
    The Residents
    Eskimo Live! Tour
    @ Brighton Music Hall

    Thursday, January 29th
    Bad Bad Hats
    performing "Psychic Reader"
    @ the Crystal Ballroom

    Friday, January 30th
    Greg Freeman
    Golomb
    @ the Red Room at Cafe 939

    Saturday & Sunday
    January 31st & February 1st
    Something In The Way Fest 2026
    with Explosions In The Sky,
    Sunny Day Real Estate, Citizen,
    Tigers Jaw, The Hotelier, Momma,
    Angel Dust, February, First Day Back,
    Glitterer, Glixen, Gollylagging, Guv,
    Graham Hunt, Horse Jumper of Love,
    How Much Art, No Warning, Pelican,
    Park National, Pool Kids, Sheer Mag,
    Wicca Phase Springs Eternal,
    and Teen Suicide
    @ Roadrunner

    Thursday, February 12th
    Brandi Carlile
    The Head and the Heart
    @ TD Garden

    Friday, February 13th
    Nine Inch Nails
    @ TD Garden

    Friday, February 20th
    Marissa Nadler
    @ the Somerville Armory

    Saturday, February 21st
    Margo Price
    @ the Royale

    February 28th
    Ratboys
    Florry
    @ the Sinclair

    Tuesday, March 3rd
    Spiritual Cramp
    @ the Sinclair

    Wednesday, March 4th
    Cat Power
    "The Greatest 2026" tour
    @ Roadrunner

    Friday, March 6th
    Michael Shannon,
    Jason Narducy,
    & friends play REM's
    "Life's Rich Pageant"
    with opener
    Eugene Mirman
    @ the Royale

    Friday, March 13th
    Quarters
    Paper Lady
    @ the Royale

    Friday, Saturday, & Sunday
    March 13th, 14th, & 15th
    Dropkick Murphys
    @ MGM Music Hall

    Tuesday, March 17th
    Dropkick Murphys
    @ House of Blues

    Thursday, March 19th
    Julianna Barwick
    & Mary Lattimore
    @ the Somerville Armory

    Friday, March 20th
    The Hives
    The Chats
    @ House of Blues

    Saturday, March 21st
    Cass McCombs
    Chris Cohen
    @ Brighton Music Hall

    Saturday, March 21st
    Joyce Manor
    Militarie Gun
    Teen Mortgage
    Combat
    @ House of Blues

    Sunday, March 22nd
    Maria Somerville
    @ the ICA Boston

    Monday, March 23rd
    Westerman
    @ the Sinclair

    Thursday, March 26th
    The Format
    Piebald
    Adult Mom
    @ Roadrunner

    Sunday, March 29th
    Ladysmith Black Mambazo
    @ Sanders Theatre

    Wednesday, April 1st
    Wednesday (the band)
    @ Roadrunner

    Thursday, April 2nd
    On Cinema Live! with
    Tim Heidecker
    & Gregg Turkington
    @ the Wilbur

    Friday, April 3rd
    Patrick Watson
    @ Somerville Theatre

    Friday & Saturday
    April 3rd & 4th
    Hayley Williams
    Water From Your Eyes
    @ House of Blues

    Saturday, April 4th
    The Dirty Three
    @ the Sinclair

    Saturday, April 4th
    Puscifer
    Dave Hill
    @ the Wang Theatre

    Wednesday, April 8th
    Mclusky
    Pile
    @ the Paradise

    Thursday, April 9th
    Circle Jerks
    Gorilla Biscuits
    @ the Paradise

    Thursday, April 16th
    Rhiannon Giddens
    @ the Orpheum

    Saturday, April 18th
    The Last Dinner Party
    Florence Road
    @ Roadrunner

    Sunday, April 19th
    Heavenly
    Swansea Sound
    Jeanines
    @ the Sinclair

    Thursday, April 30th
    Oklou
    @ the Royale

    Monday, May 4th
    Yumi Zouma
    Ducks Ltd.
    @ the Sinclair

    Thursday, May 14th
    Melody's Echo Chamber
    @ the Royale

    Tuesday & Wednesday
    May 19th & 20th
    Belle and Sebastian
    play "Tigermilk" (19th) and
    "If You're Feeling Sinister" (20th)
    @ the Orpheum

    Thursday, June 11th
    Echo & the Bunnymen
    @ Roadrunner

    Tuesday, June 23rd
    Wolfmother
    @ House of Blues

    Wednesday, June 24th
    The Church
    The Singles Tour
    (rescheduled from 8/1/25)
    @ Somerville Theatre

    Tuesday, July 14th
    Joe Jackson
    @ the Chevalier

    Friday, September 4th
    Peter Hook & the Light
    play New Order's "Get Ready"
    @ House of Blues

    Saturday, September 12th
    Rush
    @ TD Garden