Saturday, January 30, 2010

PRGNT Records rebirth


Word on the street was that even though the legendary Weird Diner was dead, Prgnt Records lived on. Well their new website certainly confirms that rumor as fact. Looks like they're just getting started with some new releases, including a tape for Brooklyn-based White Suns and the new 2 Ton Bug LP Wedding of the Century. Prgnt's had quite a few quality releases over the past few years, so keep your eyes on this guy.

Friday, January 29, 2010

The Felice Brothers @ StageOne - Feb 5th



The Felice Brothers hit Fairfield on the fifth to bring some Bob Dylan-esq folk to CT. The show is only going to be around 15 bucks before student/senior discounts so not only will you get to see some great folk, you'll have enough money for burritos after.



StageOne - February 5th
The Felice Brothers
Time: 7:00pm
Cost: $5-$15

Welcome, Conversion Party, The Stars Be Mute @ Yale - Feb 6


WYBC is throwing a basement show next Saturday in New Haven. Welcome, Conversion Party and The Stars Be Mute are all lined up to play. There's also talk of Northpaw and The Rambles showing up. Not only is it a sick lineup it's free!



216 Dwight Street
New Haven, Connecticut 06511
February 6th
The Stars Be Mute
Cost: Free
Time: 9:00pm

Thursday, January 28, 2010

POWERS/CosmoSingles


Cosmodemonic Telegraph
just released a new compilation of the New London local scene called POWERS. This comp really just confirms something we all knew - the New London scene is absolutely insane! It's a set of 28 songs by both established NL bands and up-and-comers. There's so many bands, and they're all so drastically different it's crazy. Everything from Americana/folk to experimental noise. Who would've thought there'd be so much from such a tiny city? They must have the most bands per capita in the world. This is a comp you've gotta hear.

You can snag a copy of POWERS at The Rock Fix on Jan. 30th. It looks like a killer show. If you can't make it to the show, you can stream the compilation right here, and order it from the bandcamp site.


<a href="http://powers.bandcamp.com/album/cosmosingles-31">Get Haunted - Cedar Grove by Powers</a>

POWERS (CDT075) Full Track Listing:

disc one
1 Get Haunted "Cedar Grove"
2 Estrogen & Tonic "Double Muscle"
3 Straight to VHS "Hey"
4 The Reducers "Tokyo Bay"
5 Brazen Hussy "Broke into Your Facebook"
6 The Can Kickers "Sandburg's And So Today"
7 Bedroom Rehab Corporation "5 Nights in Jail"
8 Brava Spectre "5 Nights in Jail"
9 The Weird Beards "Pirate Flag"
10 Good God! "Awake at Night"
11 Dorian James "Paranoia"
12 Low-Beam "Way Out of Line"
13 Thunderfakers "You Askew"
14 The Suicide Dolls "Senses"
15 Flesh Hammer "Drink"

disc two
1 Above Below "Ignite"
2 Matt Gouette "Summers Without Mars"
3 Roadside Attractions "You Ain't Gonna"
4 Fatal Film "Remember When You Were Fun"
5 The Tawny Twelve "Tinseltown"
6 The Hoolios "He Walks in Vain"
7 Dan and Liz "Spain"
8 Anne Castellano "Wasted Hours"
9 Recur Occurrence "Inside My Head"
10 Brad Bensko "Why Do You Do That"
11 The Original Sinners "Wailing City Girl"
12 Total Bolsheviks "Eleanor Rugby"
13 Total Phone "Alone"

In addition to the compilation, they'll be releasing their 3rd wave of Cosmo Singles - 2-song CD singles from almost every one of the bands above. You can pick them up separately or as a full set. Check out this huge-ass catalog right here. Keep up the good work, guys.

Kimono Draggin' - Ello Dudes


There's a new video for "Ello Dudes" by Kimono Draggin'. Check it out when you get a minute and you're not at work:

CLICK

Pretty & Nice + You Can Be A Wesley @ Oasis Pub - Jan 29th

Tommorow Pretty & Nice and You Can Be A Wesley are playing at Oasis Pub to kick off a mini tour. Admittedly its a late catch on my part which I regret because Tora!Tora!Tora! by Pretty & Nice was my early summer jam last year. From what I've heard from YCBAW, I could say with no doubt this show will be one of the funnest in a while.



Time: 9:00pm
Cost:$5

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

folk's not dead

Sunday night at The Space, you can catch some fantastic new folk singers:

Trumbull's Katie Wilson plays a range of folk tunes that draw inspiration from bluegrass, folk, pop and blues. She plays fiddle, guitar and mandolin and sings with a style reminiscent of old bluegrass albums. She plays in a ton of local bands, from funk/blues band MamaSutra, reggae band I anbassa, to bluegrass band The Shinerunners. She just released an album in September with a lot of local musicians, which is out on local bluegrass label Prime Numbers Recording.

Josh A. is working on a new EP that is really promising. Josh used to be in Hi-Planes Drifter, though his solo tunes sound completely different, and I have to say, I'm completely psyched about his new music. The new songs are sort of an atmospheric minimalist foray into folk music, but they're much more complex than the average folk tune. I'm pretty excited to hear the new EP when it comes to fruition. Check out "The Foe" below to hear a sample:

<a href="http://josha.bandcamp.com/album/josh-a">The Foe by Josh A.</a>

If you read this site regularly, Jesse Tobias should be no stranger to you. He plays relaxing tunes that range from whisper quiet to almost boisterous. He's got a great voice and puts on a great live show, so you shouldn't miss him. He played the CT Indie house show last fall, which you can download in case you missed it.

The Space - Jan 31st
7:00, $10

Cafe Nine has No Values


Just kidding, Cafe Nine is an upstanding venue upholding the musical fabric of Connecticut. NO VALUES is a monthly event operated by Brian Frenette (aka DJ Tim Daltrey) and Donovan from Redscroll Records, hosted by Cafe Nine.

On the 4th Tuesday of each month, a different band will perform. And a pair of DJs (sometimes Tim Daltrey and Donovan, sometimes not) will spin records before and after the band's performance. Sound good? Of course it sounds good.

Check out the No Values site here: CLICK. Last night Ultrabunny played. One of the upcoming acts *drum roll* Estrogen Highs! YES!

Retribution Gospel Choir REMINDER

TONIGHT, Manic Productions is presenting Retribution Gospel Choir, Wednesday, January 27th, 2010 at Daniel Street!


LOCATION:
Daniel Street
21 Daniel Street
Milford CT

$12 ($10 adv) - 8:00PM - 21+

DIRECTIONS:
Click here

Retribution Gospel Choir is a rock trio founded in 2007. The group features Low members Alan Sparhawk and Steve Garrington with Eric Pollard on drums and vocals. Those of you already familiar with Retribution Gospel Choir know that two of the songs on Low's Drums and Guns get a new interpretation on RGC's self titled LP. To help those of you unfamiliar, think of Low without Mimi Parker's vintage organ of a voice, or Low's intense restraint, replace both with a full drum kit and heavy guitar driven rock outs, and you can get an idea of where RGC is coming from.

Apse & Arms and Legs will also be at this show opening up. Apse have been a well kept secret in the post rock scene for almost a decade now, thrilling crowds at festivals all over the world. Not only are they a great band they're from a great town, Newtown. Arms and Legs are a laid back folk band that are a perfect opener to sooth you into this set.

Midi & The Modern Dance, Cold Snap - House Show


One of Connecticut's best young bands, Midi & The Modern Dance is playing an intimate house show in Easton this coming Saturday, January 30. The band is preparing for the release of their second record "Make It Easy on Yourself" as well as a split 7" with Suns, who are also playing this show.

It's always nice to go to a show and see 4 or 5 bands that don't sound exactly alike playing together. Diversity in show lineups is a beautiful thing when executed properly and this show is a fantastic example of that. Hardcore band Cold Snap (who put out a 7'' on Hot Air Press this past November) will treat all attendees to an emotional set. If seeing one of the the most refreshingly original hardcore bands in the state doesn't intrigue you, maybe the possibility of a Life of Agony cover will.

New Year's Revolution are a 3 piece folk punk band with a cellist! The band is from Danbury and New Haven and have been active members of the DIY scene for a while now. With their raw talent and unmistakeable ability to write a damn catchy song, 2010 promises to be a big year for NYR.

Rounding out the bill are Martin Luther King and Richard Trenton Chase and to be frank, I know nothing about either of these acts. But you might as well check them out, considering the rest of the bill is so strong.

$5
7:00 PM
19 Flat Rock Drive, Easton

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Mountain Movers - The Day Calls Out for You

Mountain Movers - The Day Calls Out for You
I have never written a record review before. I do spend a lot of my time either excitedly (shouting) exaggerating the merits of music I enjoy, or enviously and spitefully shooting down music I think to be mediocre. The Mountain Movers' The Day Calls Out for You also seems to be the kind of record I should probably not choose as the first review I ever write, as I have personally recorded two full length albums (one being a double LP), and performed close to 75 shows with the previous incarnation of The Mountain Movers. I was also explicitly informed by the wonderful/courageous administrators of this web address that I shouldn't plug any projects I worked/played on, and although I was in no way involved with this album, I did conveniently fail to mention my prior time spent playing music/drinking beer/smoking pot with Dan Greene and his Mountain Movers.

That being said, I have spent a lot of time with The Day Calls Out for You, and think that it is the strongest Mountain Movers release yet. Anyone familiar with Dan Greene's songwriting, either from The Mountain Movers Safety Meeting Records releases, or from his songs with the legendary Butterflies of Love, will once again find his always confident melodies, hazy vocals, and his mostly sunny though sometimes heavy religious/spiritual journeyman subject matter. The difference is the new version of The Mountain Movers - a stripped-down, fuzzed-out, 2 guitar, recorded on tape amalgam of some seriously psychedelic waves/sunbeams. The title track, along with a few others, have a kind of Neil Young feeling, while a lot of the record reminds me of maybe a more organized/modern day/less drug-addled Godz.

Most of this could probably be traced to the guitar/noise making of Joey Maddalena, one of the two newest members of the group. Maddalena's playing has filled the space left by the previous chamber-pop/horn heavy textures of the old Mountain Movers. I'm currently in a trance as I'm writing, listening to the guitars on "Love is the Way," and feel like I just smoked a ton of questionable marijuana out of a wooden piece in a parking lot even though I'm not actually going to do that until later. The new sound makes more sense to me coming from Dan Greene and company, and now that they've released The Day Calls Out for You on their own Car Crash Avoiders label (see CT Indie archive, Oct. 29 09), I can't wait until they make some more awesome records like this that nobody is going to hear until some pot-head post-post-psych/freak-folk record nerd finds one of the hand-numbered pieces of vinyl in some record dump in 2030, thinks that he found the greatest record ever, tells all his friends, and it gets re-released by Sub Pop or some shit.

Here's the tune called “Love is the Way” from the new record:


Grab your copy here: CLICK or pick it up locally at Redscroll Records.

post-show: Vetiver, Happy Birthday, Titles


I showed up a bit late to this show so I missed the beginning of Titles' set, but what I saw was brilliant. Those guys are really tight, and can somehow take a quick pop hook, tack on a slammin guitar solo and flesh it out into a full 2 minute song. How they do that is beyond me, and how lead guitar/vocalist Brad manages to dial up such a sweet guitar tone is beyond me. Their new album is out in March and I think it's gonna rock.

Happy Birthday was up next. They're fronted by songwriter King Tuff from Witch. I haven't heard more than a handful of his songs since his album won't be out till March, but his songs are pretty straightforward pop songs masked by fuzz, odd vocals and some really harsh changes. They were all over the map - they were pretty sloppy, but seemed to have some good energy. I was originally way too close to the speakers and it was real harsh, but as their set went on they seemed to get better.

The Space eventually filled up to capacity before Vetiver's set. It was strangely silent in there, it seems like everyone was quietly anticipating the band to begin. I've never seen them before, but they were worth seeing. They were really great - they played some old songs and and a few new ones I haven't heard before. They changed a lot of songs stylistically, and it seems like they're a very different band on the record vs. live.

All photos by Brushback. He has some really nice things to say about the show, and took some good pictures so head over there to check out more.


Titles:


Happy Birthday:



D. Gookin: From Here the Wall of Undoing

Based on the energy D. Gookin exerts during his live shows, I doubt he ever has to go to the gym. This one-man band armed with a drum kit, a laptop, and a looper works himself into a frenzy until you think he might burst. His latest EP, From Here the Wall of Undoing, encapsulates this boundless energy. D experiments with more distortion, resonating synths, and crisp drum beats. The five tracks run the gamut from the melodic "The Spirit Link" to growled lyrics and primal screams on "Mad Mallow". If you like what you hear, catch this technoise live at Café Nine on February 4.

Monday, January 25, 2010

The Bands You Want to See


Let's talk. You've been thinking about bands you want to see come play here. Your band is dying to open for some such act that your bandmates love. Share your thoughts in the comments on here or on the fan page. Here's one that popped into my head - Suicide Dolls and Wizzard Sleeve? Your turn.

Cancer Benifit @ City Alehouse - Feb 12



Fact is City Alehouse is throwing a benefit show to raise awareness. To do so they got some of the best sounding bands around and stuck them all on one bill. So on the 12th And The Days Bewteen, Tactylics, The Press, The Field Recordings and Bobby of The Teemates will all be there, rocking the doors off.




Saturday, January 23, 2010

Retribution Gospel Choir - Low - Heaven


The story begins like this: Low will be the musical accompaniment for an original dance performance of Heaven, choreographed by Morgan Thorson. This performance will be happening Friday & Saturday, January 29 & 30, 2010, 8:00 PM at the Center for the Arts at Wesleyan University. Normally Wesleyan prefers to keep us local hoodlums off their campus, but this an event the public is invited to. There will be a pre-performance talk by Debra Cash on Friday, January 29, at 7:15pm, CFA Hall (formerly CFA Cinema). Depending on how much you want to spend, tickets are $21 for section A, $18 for section B, and $8 for section C. Purchase your tickets online here.

"...formidable and fresh, intelligent and riveting...an explosive physicality tempered by sinuous lines and subtle drama..." -Minneapolis Star Tribune

Minneapolis-based Morgan Thorson makes her Connecticut debut with her newest work, Heaven. This sensory work explores the nature of ecstatic perfection by synthesizing vocal and physical rapture (body) with omnipresent lighting effects (spirit). Thorson's choreography is gleaned from research into religious forms and devotional practices. Light, movement and sound combine as equally expressive partners to create a vibrant onstage world of euphoria and paradise meant to rouse performers and audience into an ecstatic experience. Funded by the New England Foundation for the Arts' National Dance Project.

About Morgan Thorson: Heaven

But the thing is, before Heaven at Wesleyan, Manic Productions is presenting Retribution Gospel Choir on Wednesday, January 27th, 2010 at Daniel Street!


LOCATION:
Daniel Street
21 Daniel Street
Milford CT

$12 ($10 adv) - 8:00PM - 21+

DIRECTIONS:
Click here

BUY TICKETS NOW:
Click Here

Retribution Gospel Choir is a rock trio founded in 2007. The group features Low members Alan Sparhawk and Steve Garrington with Eric Pollard on drums and vocals. Those of you already familiar with Retribution Gospel Choir know that two of the songs on Low's Drums and Guns get a new interpretation on RGC's self titled LP. To help those of you unfamiliar, think of Low without Mimi Parker's vintage organ of a voice, or Low's intense restraint, replace both with a full drum kit and heavy guitar driven rock outs, and you can get an idea of where RGC is coming from.

Not to spread rumors, but if you put on your Sherlock Holmes hat, light your pipe, and begin connecting the dots, you might get the feeling there is hope for Mimi Parker to join Retribution Gospel Choir on stage, considering she will be at Wesleyan the weekend following the Daniel Street show.

...Maybe I will use my psionic powers to command Parker to do this, so don't be surprised if she shows up at Daniel Street in a trance.

Shhhhhhh! I am trying to concentrate! Mmmmmmmmmmmmm...

Apse & Arms and Legs will also be at this show opening up. Apse have been a well kept secret in the post rock scene for almost a decade now, thrilling crowds at festivals all over the world. Not only are they a great band theyre from a great town, Newtown. Arms and Legs are a laid back folk band that are a perfect opener to sooth you into this set.

North Shore Troubadours + The Clams @ Two Boots - Jan 28


If you're like me then the last thing you think of when you think of Connecticut is surf rock. Seeing as the last time a wave hit any of our beaches was 1852, just thinking about it seems like a joke. Listening to North Shore Troubadours may change your opinion. These guys are able to make the snowiest day seem like a picnic on a Costa Rican beach before the track ends. The Clams will also be there with their Go-Go dancing troupe to bring in the surf fury. Long story short: Great music, Go-Go dancers and the best pizza in Fairfield County - a no lose situation.



Two Boots - Jan 28
North Shore Troubadours
The Clams
Nouveau Pony Banditos
Time:8:00pm
Cost: Free

Friday, January 22, 2010

Fake Babies - Show + New Music Video


Our New Haven chums Fake Babies have been putting in a lot of work these last few months. House parties, shows, and rumor has it a new EP or LP coming out on Safety Meeting soon. With the little time they have had on their hands they just dropped their first music video for the song "Sophisticated Thighs" .



Rudy's - February 13th
Fake Babies
Time: 9:00pm

Vetiver, Happy Birthday and Titles


Great grazing buffalo, Batman! Look at this lineup:

Vetiver released their debut album in 2004 on the small indie folk label DiCristina. Since the album's release Vetiver has toured extensively, opening for and collaborating with Devendra Banhart, Joanna Newsom and Vashti Bunyan. Banhart is a revolving member of the band and joins them onstage often. They just released their new album "More of This" on Sub Pop and are on a pretty extensive tour:

1/14 Rochester, NY @ Lovin' Cup
1/15 Pittsburgh, PA @ Thunderbird Cafe
1/16 Nelsonville, OH @ Ohio Winter Folk Festival at Stuart's Opera House
1/17 Morgantown, WV @ Mountain Stage
1/18 Arlington, VA @ IOTA Club & Cafe
1/19 Baltimore, MD @ Sonar Club Stage
1/20 Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie w/ Meg Baird & Avi Buffalo
1/21 Brooklyn, NY @ Bell House w/ Avi Buffalo
1/22 Hamden, CT @ The Space w/ Happy Birthday & Titles
1/23 Hudson, NY @ Jason's Upstairs w/ Kevin Barker

Happy Birthday is Kyle Thomas (aka King Tuff), Chris Weisman, and Ruth Garbus. They formed in November 2008 to play one show at the punk-space "Tinderbox" in their hometown Brattleboro, Vermont. They were signed to Sub Pop after playing just the one show. Kyle needed a band to play his new pop songs because he was too scared to play by himself. They enjoyed playing with each other so much that they decided to keep doing it. They're self-titled debut album will be out on Sub Pop on March 16th. This is their only show in New England this year before embarking on a tour out west with Vivian Girls.

Titles are hometown heros from New Haven. If you haven't heard of these guys, you're really missing out. Their album Up With The Sun is one of my favorite local releases. This will be their first show in 6 months! They've been working on their highly anticipated Dirt Bell album, which should be out very soon.

I know you'll be there. I'd be happy just seeing Titles. This lineup just makes me wanna cry big tears of joy.

The Space - Jan 22nd
295 Treadwell Street
Hamden, CT

$12 ($10 adv) - 7:00PM

Quiet Life - California Vacation

Originally hailing from Connecticut, the boys from Quiet Life looked west and found their fortunes in Portland, Oregon. On their journey, they absorbed the best elements of American folk music. Punctuated liberally with fiddle solos and plenty of steel guitar, their latest album, California Vacation, builds momentum like a freight train barreling across the plains.

Each track on Vacation tells a different vignette. "Downtown" chronicles wild nights spent picking up chicks and throwing back drinks. "Pretty Girls" thanks ladies for tolerating shenanigans and remain true to their men. The freedom of traveling into the unknown described in "Cave Country" will make you want to hit the road even if your sole means of transport is a Huffy 10-speed. The group currently plays in the greater Portland area, but if you dig them, let them know they're needed back east.

The Rock Fix @ Crocker House Ballroom - Jan 30


On the 30th a grab bag of the best bands from New London will be playing a show at the Crocker House Ballroom to promote "POWERS", the new compilation CD by Cosmodemonic Telegraph. The Weird Beards, Fatal Film, Above Below, Straight to VHS, Roadside Attractions, The Hoolios, Get Haunted and Weep will be in attendance playing 30-45min sets all night. This looks more like the lineup to a huge festival rather than a regular show.



Crocker House Ballroom - January 30th
7pm - Straight to VHS
7:45 - Get Haunted
8:30 - Roadside Attractions
9:15 - Above Below
10pm - WEEP
10:45 - Fatal Film
11:30 - The Hoolios
12:15 - The Weird Beards

Thursday, January 21, 2010

The Beets, Christmas Island, Beach Fossils, The Procedure Club - February 10


Since I'm a good hour away from New Haven, I shy away from area shows during the work week. However, this line-up may compel me to run on caffeine and five hours of sleep for a day. Manic Productions presents the lo-fi jangly surf pop of Beach Fossils, the slightly more enunciated melodies of Christmas Island, The Beets' old-time harmonies, and the synth-laden backbeats of hometown sweethearts The Procedure Club. With so many sounds, it's bound to be a good time. Since so many of the bands are playing SXSW, you should see them here first and avoid the crowds. Plus, $6 is a lot cheaper than a festival pass. Ka-ching!

The Procedure ClubCafe Nine - February 10

250 State Street
New Haven, CT
Time: 9:00 pm
Cost: $6

FB event page: CLICK

About The Beets:
Formed about two years ago, The Beets are yet another solid lo-fi pop band, just a little more eased back. Their strumming and plucking bounces through the spring reverb of what sounds like an old Fender Princeton. These guys are from Queens by way of Uruguay, Bolivia and Michigan, the trio consists of guitarist Juan Wauters, bassist Jose Garcia and drummer Jacob Warstler. Artist Matthew Volz supplies the eye candy. Their debut album Spit in the Face of People Who Don't Want to Be Cool recounts tales of the devil and loves lost. The band is more foot-stomping than toe-tapping. Welcome 60s garage in the year twenty-ten.

About Christmas Island:
There are actually three Christmas Islands; one off the coast of Australia, one in the Pacific Ocean (which also goes by the name Kiritimati) and one that released a self-titled debut album on In The Red in 2009. They're from San Diego, California. Christmas Island's music is scuzzy garage with a suburban white boy sneer.

About Beach Fossils:
The surfy self recorded ramblings of Brooklyn's Dustin Payseur, Beach Fossils offer fun tunes that blend sun-drenched riffs, kaleidoscopic rhythms and hazy lyrics. The S/T LP will be out in April on Captured Tracks.

About The Procedure Club:
All things are explained in an earlier post here: CLICK.


THE BEETS, CHRISTMAS ISLAND & BEACH FOSSILS full tour schedule:

02/09 - New York, NY Cake Shop
02/10 - New Haven, CT Cafe Nine
02/11 - Boston, MA The Cottage
02/12 - Annandale on Hudson, NY Bard College
02/13 - Brooklyn, NY Death By Audio
02/15 - Philadelphia, PA Terrordome (early show)
02/16 - Washington, DC Velvet Lounge
02/17 - Harrisonburg, VA Blue Nile
02/18 - Princeton, NJ Terrace @ Princeton University
02/19 - Wilkes-Barre, PA Corner Cafe
02/20 - Brooklyn, NY Music Hall of Williamsburg #
03/17 - 03/20 Austin, TX SXSW

# = w/ Crystal Stilts, German Measles

I Slept With Joey Ramone Postponed



Mickey Leigh had to postpone the February 9th appearance at Cafe Nine. The new date is pending, we'll update you as soon as we know.

Cafe Nine - February 5
250 State Street
New Haven, CT
Time: 9:00 pm
Cost: $5

Medication: This Town



It's complete bullshit that I haven't seen Medication live yet. I hear that Medication is not just about the genius of the bedroom recorded full length This Town, but on the live side of the coin, yet another kind of genius. Heads or tails, I'm in love.

I will tell you that if you've been eaten alive by a broken heart like I have, this record is that morose howl of waking up to the fact that you're much better off to say fuck it and get on with your life. Intended or not, this theme is embedded in each and every groove of the beautifully clear orange Hozac release of the LP.

As I write this, the end of From My Window is fading out with a lonely cry of feedback that might as well be the whistle of a train passing through a snowy wheat field as the little boy in me watches it go by. And then there is the goose bump inducing Didn't Wanna Know that follows. Anyone that grew up on the H-Street skateboard videos in the late 80's would be reminded of those slow motion sections where it seemed like we were saying farewell to the best of times, even though we were absurdly missing the fact that we were still smack dab in the middle of them. Nothing lasts, and that overwhelming acknowledgment can make you feel like you've been buried alive if you think about it too much.

Farewell Letter drones along for almost seven minutes with cinematic sadness. Then you get the sense that when the credits start rolling there's no leaving the theater, because there's really nowhere to go. It's punctuated by clean down strokes and wailing vocals, and the odd percussion this song floats on feels like a solemn boat ride down the River Styx.

And it all comes to an abrupt end. The cold out of key crank of guitar that stops C'mon Girl wakes you right back up to everything around you. But all you want to do is start the record over again.

Grab a copy of This Town from Hozac. Or pick it up locally at Redscroll Records.

This Town tracklist:

1 Your Heart
2 Don't Die
3 TPM In Hard Times
4 I Wanna Know
5 From My Window
6 Didn't Wanna Know
7 Sacrifice
8 This Town
9 Farewell Letter
10 C'mon Girl










Women's Basketball - An Octopus...

Initially a bunch of demos, and eventually released as a full album, Women's Basketball's "An Octopus, But Like, an Octopus with Massive Wings, and Junk" is a fantastic adventure into lo-fi pop.

You can't really talk about Women's Basketball without first mentioning the fact that it's a fake band started by Tyler Trudeau (alter-ego of Brian LaRue) of the Tyler Trudeau Attempt. It seems like sort of a side project, but I've got a suspicion it's more of a just-for-fun type of thing. Everything seems to hiss and pop in time with the drum machine beats that hold the whole thing together. Buzzing keys, scratchy guitars and weird squelches compliment the strained vocals nicely. The lyrics are squirrelly - but that's exactly what you'd want with song titles like "Evan, Don't Touch My Stuff" and "Rage With Me, Andrew." It's a solid release, and even though it's a whole bunch of 4-chord angsty pop diddies, it's fresh and fun.

You can download the whole album for free over on Tweefort's page.

Steven Deal “Radio Twelve” CD Release at Cafe Nine Review

Steven Deal


Boy Genius and Mr. Ray Neal


I won't go into details about the who's who in the bands because you can read about all that here.

We arrived at Cafe Nine right as The Mold Monkies were going on. I was a bit surprised to see the place packed. I mean really packed. The Mold Monkies played a nice set of straight up powerpop, somewhat reminiscent of The Records, Flaming Groovies and Nick Lowe. All in all, quite nice jangly guitars and sweet harmonies. I really didn't mind that it felt like they played just a wee bit too long for the first band. Everyone was digging them.

Up next was Boy Genius from Brooklyn. I've seen them play a couple of times before and each time they get better. Songs full of hooks, fun stage banter. The big surprise was when Ray Neal (ex Miracle Legion and Polaris), got up on stage with them and played a few songs. The high point was a cover of “The Backyard” by Miracle Legion. Jason of Boy Genius did a great job of holding down the vocals.

Finally up was Steven Deal himself. He played songs from his new release as well as several from previous bands and some covers. His performance was raw, heartfelt and had a sense of urgency that you don't usually hear on recordings. He hasn't played in a long time and it was great to see him up on stage.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Mickey Leigh: I Slept With Joey Ramone

Don't be fooled by the title: I Slept With Joey Ramone is not a tale of sexual exploits told by a jilted mistress. In reality, the reference is far more innocent. The biographer in question is actually Joey's brother, Mickey Leigh. Spanning from childhood to the band's rise and fall, Mickey's stories could be pulled directly from the lyrics of a Ramone's song: the boys survive a broken home, get in trouble in school, and find redemption in rock and roll. Mickey and co-writer Legs McNeil will stop by Café Nine on February 9th to celebrate the book's release and catch a surprise line-up of bands. Be prepared for an evening of blitzkrieg bop.


Cafe Nine - February 5
250 State Street
New Haven, CT
Time: 9:00 pm
Cost: $5

Postponed


Dion Roy w/ Addison Station @ Up or On the Rocks- Jan 29th



Dion Roy will be at Up or On the Rocks January 30th. I'm not usually one for these softer tunes but after hearing him sing I teared up like I was watching Mrs.Doubtfire for the first time. It seems I'm not the only one who feels that way seeing as he has appearance's lined up on Fox 61 on the 29th and My TV 9 on the 30th. If you're looking for a good accoustic show to chill to on a cool Friday night hit this up. Coupled with Addison Station this show could turn the blackest of metal heads into acoustic rockers.



Up or On the Rocks - January 30th
Dion Roy
Addison Station
Time:9:30pm
Cost: $10

The Thermals with Past Lives



SATURDAY, APRIL 17, 2010 Manic Productions brings you:






The Thermals!!

Past Lives!!


Doors open at 7 PM – $14 ($12 advance or from Redscroll Records)

Location:
The Space
295 Treadwell Street
Hamden CT

Directions: CLICK

This is a super early heads-up so you can grab your tickets well beforehand, and pick up the new Thermals EP and the debut Past Lives LP due out on February 23.

You know The Thermals, but here's a little blurb to chew on from their page:
The Thermals have recently released their fourth and possibly best album to date, Now We Can See. After an amicable split with Sub Pop, the band has signed with the iconic Northwest label Kill Rock Stars, recently relocated to Portland, Oregon. Now We Can See was recorded by John Congleton (Explosions in the Sky, Polyphonic Spree) again at Supernatural, and at Congleton's studio Elmwood in Dallas, Texas. NWCS is full of the hi-fi power for which Congleton is famous, and continues The Thermals' tradition of raw punk energy combined with brilliant melodies and intelligent lyrics. Hutch and Kathy recorded NWCS the same way they did TBTBTM: as a duo, with Foster acting as a one-woman rhythm section for the entire record. Westin Glass joined The Thermals soon after the recording was completed, to become the fourth drummer for The Thermals, sixth if you count Harris and Foster. Please insert your own Spinal Tap joke here, thanks.

The Thermals are most famous for discovering a fourth chord in pop-punk. It's F#minor, in case you were wondering. The Thermals have also made many fine contributions to rock journalism, including the terms no-fi, some-fi, mid-fi, post-pop-punk, pre-post-punk, neo-grunge, post-power-pop, i.d.w.t.d.i.m. (i don't want to do it myself) and s.e.d.i.f.y.(somebody else does it for you).

Past Lives-the Seattle quartet consisting of Jordan Blilie, Mark Gajadhar, Morgan Henderson and Devin Welch-present Tapestry of Webs, their debut full-length release, due Feb. 23, 2010. As the summer of 2009 pooled into the fall leaves and grey wash, the group captured 12 songs with producer/engineer Steve Fisk, taking initial tracks from Seattle's Avast! studios to Fisk's home recording den for completion.

The result is an album that crawls from the primordial ooze of anti-parent culture sound to stand on newly formed legs, moving forward with carefully considered steps. Here, sibling harmonies are offered to The Wickerman death-dub, tom-toms locked in hypnotic BPM. Guitars alternate between glistening pop tones, ethereal bliss-out and raw rhythmic ruin. Throughout, each song delves deep into the blank gaze, the experience of everyday living as viewed through the tired eyes of uncertainty and doubt. It's all kinda "vibey".

The Thermals / Past Lives dates:

4.07 - Orlando, FL @ The Social
4.08 - Tallahassee, FL @ Club Downunder
4.09 - Gainesville, FL @ Rion Ballroom at University of Florida
4.10 - St. Augustine, FL @ Café Eleven
4.12 - Wilmington, NC @ Soapbox
4.13 - Carrboro, NC @ Cats Cradle
4.14 - Charlottesville, VA @ The Southern
4.15 - Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church Sanctuary
4.16 - Baltimore, MD @ Otto Bar
4.17 - Hamden, CT @ The Space
4.18 - Cambridge, MA @ Middle East
4.20 - Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Bowl

...and some other Past Lives dates:
4.22 - Princeton, NJ @ Terrace Club at Princeton University
4.23 - Columbus, OH @ Cafe Bourbon St.
4.25 - Minneapolis, MN @ 7th St. Entry

The Uglysuit

Saturday, January 23, 2010

~Jonathan Walcher Photography

Location:
The Space
295 Treadwell Street
Hamden CT

$10 - 7:00PM - All Ages

Directions: CLICK

Uglysuit is a Touch and Go / Quarterstick band that is leaving a wake of buzz behind them as they tour, a tour that includes performances at SXSW in March. Here's their bio:

Tabloid life surrounds us. Artifice has replaced art, style trumps substance. Sincerity and honesty got lost along the way. Once in a while though, something breaks through. It can crack the shell of bitterness and send a memo reminding us that it’s entirely possible we haven’t become too jaded, at least not yet. That’s where The Uglysuit and their self-titled record come in.

Made up of six friends from Oklahoma City ranging in age from 20-23, The Uglysuit brings a different mentality to what they do – remarkably fresh-faced and honest, the band believes in letting loose, fostering a heartfelt atmosphere of hope and love, and works hard to shape what comes naturally. Playing together since their early teen years has given them an almost familial connection which shines through on their beautiful, fully-realized debut album.

The comfort and ease The Uglysuit shares in performing together is evident in the direction each song takes. Some start as one thing and end as something completely different, but in a way that fits together perfectly. Nothing is sacrificed and everything makes sense. “Brownblue’s Passing” begins delicately before orchestral elements take a march-like turn, leading to a finale that becomes increasingly hypnotic and epic. “…And We Became Sunshine” opens with a bouncy intro that eventually transforms into a soaring chorus of guitar washes, keyboard flourishes, and lush, layered vocals. “Chicago” brings together a more traditional song structure, a melody painted with piano and delicate guitar lines, and a refrain that can stay embedded in your brain for days.

The Uglysuit’s music is an extended love song to the notion that everything is possible, yet nothing is guaranteed. It’s born of excitement and energy and built on potential and promise. It’s based on the premise that change exists in everything, and where a wide-eyed view of the world doesn’t equal naivetĂ©. It reminds us that we are alive, and that maybe it’s not too late.



Wess Meets West is the solo project of Sam Stauff (The Morning After, My Holy Ghost, A Paper Tugboat). "The Sun The Moon The Master" is the latest release, It is ambient rock mixed with electronics preformed live. Sam enlists the help of Bryan Gottshall and Jesse Vengrove along with other friends to help live and in the studio. Wess Meets West was also one of the collaborators in John Nolan's "Fan Collaboration Project".

Whats Left of the Trees is an energetic blend of jammy/experimental/alternative rock with influences in pop and soul. As a band we spend all of our time writing, recording, and touring. As best friends, we love cats and eat too much junk food.

The Files and Fires was formed by Tyler Smith and Ian Tait. They blend indie rock with ambient and live electronics.

The Guru are a fun indie rock band, with song titles such as "Happy Octopus Club" and "Ballad of the Samba Zombie", they have a touch of that Dead Milkmen thing going on.

Hostage Calm: Affadavit

Wallingford's Hostage Calm have been a confusing, yet welcome, oddity within the local punk/hardcore scene since 2007. Since then, they have released a four-song demo and an LP, both of which surprised listeners by refusing to rely on classic hardcore formulas like speed or heaviness. Instead, they take influence from 90's post-hardcore bands like Quicksand and 80's alternative rock bands like The Smiths. By drawing from these influences, they have formed a unique sound which is poppy and melodic while still aggressive and in-your-face. The label Run For Cover Records recently announced that they would be releasing Hostage Calm's second full length later this year.

With the announcement came a new song, titled "Affadavit", which can be streamed on the label's website. The new song is a huge step away from the band's earlier material. While almost completely abandoning any hardcore sound they once had, Hostage Calm chooses to take a much more upbeat and melodic path. Vocalist Chris Martin's voice has matured drastically since the band's last full-length, Lens. He completely forgoes any screaming whatsoever, and instead sings every line with perfect pitch and melodies. Guitarist Tom Chiari manages to create chord progressions that are both straight-forward and experimental at the same time. The chorus is anthemic while the bridge toys around with more unusual riffs. The drumming compliments this style flawlessly. It's tight and intricate without being overly flashy. The song finishes with a vocal line recorded with a vocoder effect which, on paper, sounds cheesy but within the context of the song works perfectly. Lastly, the song's recording quality is impeccable. It was recorded at Silver Bullet Studios by Greg Thomas, who records many of Connecticut's most promising hardcore bands. This time, however, Thomas has outdone himself. The song sounds so professionally mixed and mastered that it is nearly impossible to believe it was made by a local band. Although "Affadavit" is relatively soft compared to the band's earlier material, it certainly calls for multitudes of sing-alongs and stagedives, as any great punk song should. To sum everything up, "Affadavit" is one of those songs that makes you never want to pick up an instrument ever again, because you know you will never write something that good.


You can listen to the track here:

<a href="http://hostagecalm.bandcamp.com/track/affidavit">Affidavit by Hostage Calm</a>

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Local Band night @ The Space

Sunday is local band night at The Space. The Nathan Hall Band from Fairfield will be playing - go check out "Annals" on their myspace, it's damn catchy. Also on the bill is Zero Proof and TBH.

The Space
7PM, $10.

The Procedure Club



Finally got around to listening to The Procedure Club's It's Only Fair cassette, which is basically an appetizer consisting of three tracks from their most recent album Music For The Leisure Time, a favorite from their self-titled, and four new ones. The new ones are kinda meh, sounding a little like the kludge-formed interludes that the Swirlies used to do. But The Procedure Club even at their sloppiest have Andrea's eerie vocals holding the most ridiculous finger pounded drum machine beat together.

By the way, special mention must be made about It's Only Fair's packaging, since the cassette's plastic j-card looks and feels like a petrified Fruit Roll-Up.

On all their releases, Andrea sounds like a ghost at the bottom of an ancient well, luring children to its edge to try and fool them into diving in. She bounces from one hard panned ear to the other, with delay and reverb galore making her mumbled crooning a haunt filled fog. Adam's noise-wash comes straight from Black Tambourine, Ecstasy & Wine-era My Bloody Valentine, and early Jesus and Mary Chain, which is totally underused nowadays. Adam's bass and guitar chug along with the same spastic energy of his Groovski days, and all the glitches and warts of home recording get their moment in the sun, but almost never do his pop sensibilities go forgotten.

To his credit, Adam never goes completely over the top with the corrupting magic of lo-fi recording. If Alvin Lucier's 1969 experiment I Am Sitting in a Room established the spectrum of what can happen to sound the more you fuck with it, then Adam's recordings are still comfortably close to the middle. Which is fine. There's no need to utterly pulverize things like Times New Viking often do to achieve the right textures.

The Procedure Club has opened some of Connecticut's greatest underground shows, such as Ariel Pink back in 2008, Doomstar! in 2009, and most recently the final Shaki Presents show at BAR, opening for Gary War. Along with the Unexplainable Recordings release of It's Only Fair, The Procedure Club have a release on the singles-based digital label Beko. Their self-titled is available from the Mexican net-lable Scribble Kite, and the Series Two Records CD-R of Music For The Leisure Time can be ordered from Insound. Oh yeah, and what's this business with The Procedure Club signing with Captured Tracks? I guess someone at Captured Tracks has the same terrible taste in music as myself.

You can catch The Procedure Club next with The Beets, Christmas Island and Beach Fossils on Wednesday, February 10, 2010 at Cafe Nine (cost $6.00 - 8:00PM - 21+).


Download The Procedure Club's self-titled free here: CLICK

Download The Procedure Club's Beko release free here: CLICK

The Procedure Club's "It's Only Fair" is available from Unexplainable Recordings on cassette or CDR for $6.00 PPD, $10.00 PPD World.

The Series Two Records CD-R of Music For The Leisure Time can be ordered from Insound here: CLICK

Monday, January 18, 2010

Orcumentary w/ Brava Spectre CD Release @ South Street Station - Jan 29th



When it comes to bringing noise, I don't think anyone in CT brings it as hard as Brava Spectre. They're like a mix Lightning Bolt and Japanther in a cup of Everclear. It'll be loud, it'll be abrasive and most likely you'll end up walking out in some sort of stupor.

This show is ORCumentary CD release. With a limited vocab and a group of thesaruses I will do my best to describe ORCumentary :

careless, case-hardened, hard-bitten, heartless,impassive, insensitive, insentient, inured, obdurate, soulless, spiritless,stiff, stony,torpid, churlish ,uncaring, uncompassionate, unconcerned, unfeeling, unimpressionable, unresponsive, unsusceptible, unsympathetic and evil

WARNING: Discretion is advised


Cost:$10

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Oxygenstar - Sassy Wisdom

JH(10:18:10 AM): http://www.oxygenstarpower.com/music/OxygenStar-SassyWisdom.zip
JH(10:18:18 AM): dude he released this two days ago review that shit
JH(10:20:10 AM): if you don't review the new oxygenstar album i will
JH(10:20:19 AM): but you should because you're all about giving that guy hjs

What kinda chump would be giving out handjobs to a guy and not review his CD?

Not this guy.



After seeing Oxygenstar open for El Ten Eleven last year I became a fan. So of course, when he dropped Sassy Wisdom I played it until one of my laptop speakers went bad. The way I see it reviewing an 8 bit CD with text is like reviewing a painting through break dance. To help convey the feeling this CD brought upon me I drew up a little review: