So Many New Boston Sounds
Posted on February 14, 2009 at 3:47 pm | No Comments
Lots of great stuff coming out of Boston lately, some recently released, some arriving soon, and all with sample mp3s below for our/your aural pleasure. Only a month or so into the year, and I’m already pretty confident that ’09 will trump ’08 when it comes to new local faves. Listen to and love new album tracks from The Hush Now, Logan 5 and the Runners, a brand new single from Boy In Static, an exclusive teaser from You Can Be A Wesley‘s long-awaited debut disc, and a special Valentine’s Day cover from Somerville duo Travels…
As I write this, I’m at a table at TT the Bears, where in just a couple of hours The Hush Now will be officially celebrating the release of their self-titled debut. For some background on the band, who have gone through both a relocation and a lineup change on their way to the TT’s stage tonight, check out a new interview at my compatriot Clicky Clicky, and do yourself a favor and download the entire album for free, right here. While CC likens their sound to Poole and The Ocean Blue, I swear at times they’re ringers for a sonically-improved Fudge, and that’s high praise indeed. If you aren’t convinced to go grab the full-length yet, here’s a taste that should seal the deal…
Stream some more at MySpace, although I don’t know why you’d do that, because hey, free album download.
Also celebrating the arrival of their lovingly haunting (hauntingly lovely?) new album is the heartcore (did I just invent that? doubt it.) duo Travels, the oft-mentioned (by me) combo that joins Mona from Victory at Sea with Anar from Metal Hearts, who will be playing this Saturday at PA’s Lounge in Somerville. “The Hot Summer”, their second self-released full-length, is here to warm us in the middle of a long, cold winter, and it is perfectly fitting that the release party comes on Valentine’s Day. Ever-generous, Mona and Anar have recorded a special (non-album) cover of “My Funny Valentine“, and have gifted it to me so that I can gift it along to you…
Joining Travels on Saturday at PA’s to welcome “The Hot Summer” to the world are Animal Hospital, Arms & Sleepers, and Mary Page. Take someone special with you.
Local quintet Logan 5 and the Runners released their own introductory album “Featurette” into the wild just last month, making it available for digital download at Digstation and iTunes, as well as at shows, of course. I just missed one on the 6th, but they’ll return to the stage in Worcester on March 14th at the Lucky Dog, and better yet (for me, anyway) at the Cantab Lounge in Cambridge on March 27th. Here’s a track from “Featurette” that the band has graciously offered up for sharing…
I’m going to keep referring to Boy In Static as a “Boston duo”, even though they now belong to San Francisco just as much as us. Alex Chen, who started the band here on the East Coast, has moved out to the West one while his partner-in-sound Kenji Ross remains a local boy (in static). After making me a fan with their second album, 2007’s “Violet” (specifically, when Ashley played the track “Where It Ends” on WMBR), the duo has left much of their washy-guitar stylings behind, taking a decided turn towards more stripped down electro-pop sound with their upcoming third album, “Candy Cigarette” (due out on April 14th). Think mid-80s dance pop, or even the lighter side of Labrador Records’ current roster (the Legends made a similar transformation recently). I’m still firmly on board the BiS bus, because while the instrumentation has mutated a bit, their knack for hooks has only gotten better. Proof: The first single, an ode to Alex’s new stomping grounds…
Boy In Static has also harnessed the remixing skills of Montreal’s Montag for an alternate version of the song, which you can find over at RCRDLBL (who also previously featured a Helios remix of BiS fave “Where It Ends“). Alex made an appearance on KEXP’s airwaves when they visited SF recently (check out photos here), and will also be performing an in-store at the city’s Apple outlet on February 28th.
It is with much pride that I’ve been given the go-ahead to share up the initial taste of You Can Be A Wesley‘s very first full-length, which should be arriving sometime this Spring. I fell for YCBAW pretty hard when I saw them at Great Scott last year, and have been trying to remain patient for news of recordings (if only to prove that they were as good as I remembered them being). This preview song, titled “Creatures“, not only satisfies that hope (bringing to mind Rilo Kiley before their over-produced fall, and before they lost their distortion pedals), but has me officially impatient for the other tracks. I can’t resist a band that knows exactly the right time to throw in a handclap or two (restraint is key). Enjoy…
And remember, you and your sweetheart have an after-dinner date tomorrow: Travels and friends at PA’s Lounge in Somerville. And if you don’t have a sweetheart, maybe they’ll be waiting there for you…
Attn Boston: A ‘Dark Was The Night’ Listening Party
Posted on February 10, 2009 at 11:04 am | No Comments
This coming Monday night, on February 16th, I’m extremely proud to be hosting the Boston-area listening party for the upcoming 4AD-released “Dark Was The Night” benefit cd compilation at my beloved River Gods in Cambridge. The disc, which arrives in stores the next day and was put together by Bryan and Aaron Dessner from the National, features some amazing artists (see full list below) donating 31 exclusive songs to the Red Hot Organization, whose efforts go towards raising money and awareness for HIV and AIDS prevention and treatment.
The night will include giveaways (several copies of the two-disc compilation, along with some surprise musical goodies, and even some complimentary beverages), and guest DJ Ryan Walsh from Boston-based band Hallelujah the Hills, who will join me in selecting songs to play before and after the album itself. And in the spirit of the occasion, we’ll also be collecting donations for the Boston Living Center, an area HIV/AIDS assistance program, so bring a few extra dollars for the jar if you can spare them.
The evening kicks off at 8pm, and is brought to you by Red Hot, 4AD, Insound, River Gods, Dewar’s, and of course, Bradley’s Almanac. River Gods is located at 125 Cambridge St., in Cambridge, MA, near Central Square. The Facebook event page for the listening party is here, and to preview some songs from the compilation, head here.
The full track listing for “Dark Was The Night”…
THIS DISC
01. “Knotty Pine” – Dirty Projectors & David Byrne
02. “Cello Song” (Nick Drake) – The Books featuring Jose Gonzalez
03. “Train Song” (Vashti Bunyan recorded, written by Alasdair Clayre) – Feist & Ben Gibbard
04. “Brackett, WI” – Bon Iver
05. “Deep Blue Sea” – Grizzly Bear
06. “So Far Around the Bend” – The National (arrangement by Nico Muhly)
07. “Tightrope” – Yeasayer
08. “Feeling Good” (popularized by Nina Simone) – My Brightest Diamond
09. “Dark Was the Night” (Blind Willie Johnson) – Kronos Quartet
10. “I Was Young When I Left Home” (Bob Dylan) – Antony & Bryce Dessner
11. “Big Red Machine” – Justin Vernon & Aaron Dessner
12. “Sleepless” – The Decemberists
13. “Stolen Houses” (Die) – Iron and Wine
14. “Service Bell” – Grizzly Bear & Feist
15. “You Are The Blood” – Sufjan Stevens
THAT DISC
01. “Well-Alright” – Spoon
02. “Lenin” – Arcade Fire
03. Mimizan – Beirut
04. “El Caporal” – My Morning Jacket
05. “Inspiration Information” (Shuggie Otis) – Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings
06. “With A Girl Like You” (The Troggs) – Dave Sitek
07. “Blood Pt 2” (based on original song “You are the Blood” by the Castanets) – Buck 5 Remix (featuring Sufjan Stevens and Serengeti)
08. “Hey, Snow White” (Destroyer) – The New Pornographers
09. “Gentle Hour” (Snapper) – Yo La Tengo
10. “Another Saturday” (traditional song) – Stuart Murdoch
11. “Happiness” – Riceboy Sleeps
12. “Amazing Grace” (traditional song) – Cat Power and Dirty Delta Blues
13. “The Giant Of Illinois” (Handsome Family) – Andrew Bird
14. “Lua” – Conor Oberst & Gillian Welch
15. “When the Road Runs Out” – Blonde Redhead & Devastations
16. “Love vs. Porn” – Kevin Drew