Bradley’s Almanac

Friday Music Miscellany

Posted on April 11, 2008 at 9:50 am | No Comments

This will be brief. There are things you must know

Tickets for all the films showing during the upcoming Independent Film Festival of Boston are now on sale. Go get ’em, procrastinators will suffer. I’ll have a post next week focusing on all the music-related aspects of this year’s fest.

Mission of Burma keeps their rocking career retrospective going with not one, but two shows at the Paradise here in Boston this summer. On Thursday, June 12th, they’ll run through the entirety of their 1980 “Signals, Calls and Marches” release, and On Friday the 13th, we’ll be lucky enough to get a complete live performance of their 1983 “Vs” record (as you know, both were just reissued and expanded). A pre-sale for two-day passes ended this morning, but individual tickets for the general admission gigs can be had here starting at 10am on Thursday, April 17th.

If you’re a New Yorker, you’ll get your own version of the MoB album run-throughs on June 14th and 15th at the Bowery Ballroom. Tickets here, on sale at noon today.

Mission of Burma drummer Peter Prescott further embraces his musical past by taking part in another Boston band reunion: The Volcano Suns are coming up for air again. I totally missed this when it was announced in December, but Harp details what will be the band’s second reunion tour (a few shows took place in 2005), which will coincide with the Taang Records reissue of a double-cd collecting two albums: “The Bright Orange Years” and “All Night Lotus Party”. While the 2005 reunion had Prescott playing with David Kleiler and Bob Weston (who is remastering the reissue), this year’s tour has the original lineup of Prescott, Jeff Weigand and Jon Willams hitting the road.

According to the article, the reissue was originally planned for this month, but there’s been no news for while, so hopefully that means it’s only delayed a bit.

That Hallelujah the Hills free EP I wrote about last week is now available for your downloading and listening pleasure. The 7-track “Prepare To Qualify” EP will help us pass the time between HtH’s excellent debut disc and their sophomore record, which should be out next year. The tracks, along with lyrics, and downloadable artwork, can be grabbed here. The band plays a release show tomorrow night at Great Scott with Ho-Ag, Pretty & Nice (update: P&N had to bow out due to injury, but Big Digits are stepping up to the plate in their place), Thunderhole, and DJ Mark Pearson. Tickets here. It’ll be a busy day for ’em, as they’re also playing a G.S. Rock-n-Romp kid-friendly show that afternoon. Details here. If B was a little older, we’d be there.

Archers of Loaf / Crooked Fingers frontman Eric Bachmann recorded a session for Spinner’s Interface recently, running through a few acoustic numbers, including one of the greatest songs of all time, the Archer’s “Web In Front”. Here’s his solo version…

Mp3: Eric Bachmann – “Web In Front” (live acoustic)

For the rest of the performance, with audio and video of Eric doing “Devil’s Train“, “Little Bird“, and “Run, Lt., Run“, hit up Spinner. Eric mentions in the interview portion that another Crooked Fingers album is in the works. Very nice. Also cool to see a Richard Thompson name check, although the misspelling is a bummer. AOL needs to hire another proofreader.

Some shows on Tokyo Police Club‘s upcoming tour are already selling out, and once their debut full-length “Elephant Shell” arrives on April 22nd, more will likely follow. It’s a great record, with short, sharp shocks of ultra-catchy songs that reveal a few new tricks we didn’t hear on their inaugural EP. They put on an excellent show at Great Scott when they first hit town in 2006, nice to see ’em graduate to the Paradise stage relatively quickly. Tickets for the Boston show are still available, but not for long I’d wager, especially with Smoosh and Meligrove Band sharing the bill.

Check out the video for TPC’s “Tessellate, and download the Mp3s for two other songs (“Juno” and “In A Cave“) right here.

Psyched about all those Rhino Replacements reissues I mentioned recently? They’re coming out in just a couple weeks, and to wet your whistle, Enough Cowbell directs us to some classic live ‘Mats video hosted over at their old label, Twin/Tone. We’re talkin’ 1981-style here, people. Two full sets of Quicktime vids, with seriously early material and covers. Pure gold.

NPR will stream the entirety of Nada Surf‘s performance tomorrow night (Saturday 4/12) at Washington, D.C.’s 9:30 Club, starting around, well, 9:30pm EST. Calexico‘s Martin Wenk will join the band on keys and trumpet, and the set should be archived for listening later on.

A reminder: Tickets for Radiohead‘s August 13th show at the Mansfield, MA Tweeter Center go on sale tomorrow morning at 10am via Live Nation. Brooklyn’s Grizzly Bear opens up.

Boston-area old-school videogame geeks take note: Tomorrow I’ll be roadtripping to New Hampshire’s Weir’s Beach for a visit to gamer’s paradise Funspot. If you’ve seen the excellent King of Kong documentary, you know what I’m talking about. I’ve got a bag full of leftover tokens from my last trip in 2003, and it’s the perfect prescription for a rainy spring Saturday. So who’s with me?

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