Boston Giveaway: THE NATIONAL – Tix to House of Blues shows + Autographed 7-inch
Posted on May 27, 2010 at 12:25 pm | No Comments
Yes, I’ve clearly shifted into giveaway mode, and this time brings another wonderful slice of vinyl alongside a pair of free concert tickets…
To mark the recent release of The National‘s new 4AD long-player, “High Violet”, the team at Beggars has ponied up an autographed 7″ single for the track “Bloodbuzz Ohio“, along with two spots on the guest list for one of the band’s two upcoming shows at the House of Blues in Boston (Wednesday + Thursday, June 2nd + 3rd). I’ve long-since grabbed my tickets for the Wednesday show, but the random winner of this one will get to choose the night that works best for them.
To varying degrees, and varying lengths of time, all of the National’s albums have been growers for me, rather than showers. They always take awhile to sink in, revealing their depths only after many listens. 2007’s “Boxer” took the least while, with a few tracks that grabbed me from the get-go (opener “Fake Empire” and personal fave “Mistaken For Strangers” especially), and 2005’s “Alligator” slightly longer, but in all honesty, “High Violet” is taking the longest so far. It may even require seeing these songs performed in person for my strong like to turn into the love I expect will come.
I’ve never been disappointed by a National live set, and I’ve seen my share – from TT the Bears to the Comcast Center to a special gig at downtown bar Paddy O’s – so I’m naturally looking forward to next week’s tour stop. Especially after watching the D.A. Pennebaker-directed live show that happened at The Brooklyn Academy of Music last week (watch various clips on YouTube for a limited time).
So if you want to check out one of those two House of Blues shows next week, and snag that signed “Bloodbuzz Ohio” 7-inch as part of the deal, here’s what to do: Fire off an email to giveaways [at] bradleysalmanac [dot] com, put “NATIONAL ACTION!” in the subject line, let me know which night you’d prefer to see (6/2 or 6/3), and include your mailing address (don’t worry, it won’t be shared). Make sure it arrives in my inbox by next Tuesday, June 1st, at Noon, when I’ll pick a random winner and share the good news. One catch, obviously: You’ve gotta be able to make it to the show, so don’t enter if you can’t be there.
Here, enjoy the 7-inch version of “Bloodbuzz Ohio” while you type out that email…
Speaking of giveaways, in case you haven’t noticed, I’ve got one running on Twitter right now for 2 tickets to see a reunited Concrete Blonde (who are marking the 20th anniversary of their breakthrough “Bloodletting” album) at the Royale Boston next week. The contest ends tomorrow at Noon, so head here for the 140-character details.
Vinyl Giveaway: THE FIGGS 7-inch (new LP out now!)
Posted on May 17, 2010 at 2:11 pm | No Comments
Last Tuesday, May 11th, esteemed Boston-based rock trio The Figgs offered up their 10th (yes, tenth) studio album. Titled “The Man Who Fights Himself”, it’s out on CD initially, with vinyl arriving later this year courtesy of the top-notch Gern Blandsten recording label. The 10-song collection is the band’s first since 2006’s “Follow Jean Through The Sea” (also on GB), and comes on the heels of the teaser 7-inch single, “Casino Hayes”, which was released a few months back on Peterwalkee Records.
I never got around to writing about my favorite live shows of 2009, but the second night of The Figgs’ two-night stand at JP’s Midway Cafe woulda placed pretty damn high on that list. It was everything a rock show should be: Intimate, sweaty, loud, and passionate. The band gave it all, playing the best of their older stuff alongside a slew of exciting new ones. Plus, hey, bonus drunken cameo appearances from Replacements bassist Tommy Stinson and Soul Asylum frontman Dave Pirner, who were both in town for an S.A. gig earlier that day (Tommy’s playing bass for them at the moment). As a massive ‘Mats fan, I got a major thrill seeing Stinson jump on stage for sloppy covers of “My Generation” and “Teenage Kicks“. So much freakin’ fun.
Also a thrill? Finding out that if you order up the Figgs’ “Casino Hayes” 7″, you not only get a free download code for the a-side and the b-side (“Another Point Of View“), but a bonus live version of “Casino Hayes” recorded that very night I saw them in Jamaica Plain. Recorded by me, as a matter of fact. An honor, to say the very least.
Thanks to Peterwalkee, I’ve got an extra copy of that piece o’ wax to pass along to an Almanac reader. If you’re in the continental U.S., just drop a quick email to giveaways [at] bradleysalmanac [dot] com, include your full name, and title it “FIGGS WAX!”. Get it to me before Noon this Friday, May 21st, and I’ll pick one random entrant that afternoon.
The band just played a few shows to mark the album’s release, and have a couple of upstate NY gigs booked for August (the 6th in Albany and the 7th in Saratoga Springs). Keep an eye on their shows page for more dates, of which there are bound to be many more… they need a proper Boston-area show, since their recent stop at Johnny D’s (backing the brilliant Graham Parker) unfortunately didn’t include a Figgs opening set. Still, a great show, regardless.
Order up the Figgs’ brand new full-lengther, “The Man Who Fights Himself” direct from the band right here, and grab that 7″ straight from the label here.