Wednesday, March 31, 2010

2 Day Benefit For Matt Potter



UPDATE: Make a donation by clicking here.

Big news from New London, from Wailing City. Please click over there and read this immediately.

The Oasis Pub is having a 2 day benefit this weekend for Matt Potter, frontman for New Haven locals, and local favorite band of mine, Fatal Film. The show will be this Friday and Saturday night at 9:30.

Matt was attacked last Thursday by unknown thugs, who assaulted him and stole his skateboard. He was left with two broken cheek bones, black eyes, and tons of other wounds. We wish him a speedy recovery and hope those dickheads are caught.

The show will be a benefit to cover his medical expenses and will be a 2 day event with tons of local support. If you can't make it, at least show some support and buy one of their many releases, and if you want to be a real saint and make a donation, email Rich Martin ASAP: kosimar at gmail dot com.

<a href="http://fatalfilm.bandcamp.com/album/remember-when-you-were-fun-coolest-friend">Remember When You Were Fun by Fatal Film</a>


Here is what has been confirmed so far for the lineup:

$5, 21+
both nights start at 9:30pm

Friday April 2:
Above/Below
Mercutio
Dorian James & The Brood

Saturday April 3:
Straight To VHS
Paul Brockett Roadshow

More bands will be confirmed & announced shortly; for the full details and story, read the article here.

WYBC Presents: Spring Fix Pt. 2


This Saturday, April 3rd, WYBC Yale Radio Presents: Spring Fix Pt. 2. It's a show in a basement, so you know it'll be full of great surprises. There will be a listening party for the new Jonsi album at around 9:00, sponsored by Beggars Group which will be followed by a show which will feature:

Magic Man, a Boston-based electro-pop duo. They released their debut "Real Life Color" earlier this year, which you can download and stream for free below:

<a href="http://magicman.bandcamp.com/album/real-life-color">Swell Song by Magic Man</a>


Slam Donahue - A band which we know and love from the New Haven area. I think you've probably seen or heard them before if you've been reading our site, but I can't stress enough how good this band actually is. Plus, they just released a new video for "Five Ten Fifteen Twenty" that you can't beat with a stick:



Theo S. - A guy I know little to nothing about, and can't find a website for, but he's on the bill. Anyone with info to share, please comment!

For more info, check out the facebook event.

MYTY KONKEROR 7" Release


Man, Twin Lakes Records have been killing it lately. The New Haven based label has released the excellent Closely Watched Trains album, and recently added Australia's own Electric Jellyfish to their roster, with an excellent digital EP avaliable for download.

They've just released some new songs by MYTY KONKEROR. It's a virtual 7-inch titled Vastare, which features two songs from their soon to be released "I Miss the Future." It's available for free until the new album drops in late May/early June. "Vastare" starts off with a some nice early-Sabbath guitarwork, sure it's heavy, but not overly so. There's a lot of squealing tremelo guitar riffs, and weird noises buried deep in the mix. The second song, "Kidz and Gulls," sounds more like something that would be more at home on a Soundgarden album, I really dig it. The whole 7" is a spaced-out voyage that you don't wanna miss. You can download it for free over at Twin Lakes' website.

MYTY KONKEROR will also be playing with Electric Jellyfish on April 12th in Brooklyn @ Death by Audio, with the fantastic garage/blues rockers The Class Machine.

Serena-Maneesh, The Depreciation Guild, Shark

Monday, April 5, 2010, Manic Productions presents:


Location:
Daniel Street
21 Daniel Street
Milford CT

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

Directions: Click

Tickets: Click or pick them up at Redscroll Records

Serena-Maneesh take their Spacemen 3 obsession and drag it kicking and screaming through the detuned murk of classic Sonic Youth, the psychedelic freakout of Hawkwind and the slow build cinematic roar of Mogwai and Godspeed. This is spaced out psychedelic drug rock of the highest order for sure, but Serena-Maneesh add their own special slant to the proceedings, twisting these tracks into all sorts of dronier and dreamier shapes, cool boy / girl harmonies, hushed whispery sadboy vocals backed up by delicate dreamy female coo's and ooh's, both woven together into still more layers of sweet warm gauze, BIG guitars, not wispy or delicate, okay maybe once in a while, but mostly thick, crunchy and HEAVY riffs that just churn and grind, like there's no end in sight. Our heads crack open spilling blinding light into the sky, as we drift and shimmer and are lifted into some blissed out drone rock nirvana like we haven't experienced since the heyday of bands like The Spacemen 3. From Oslo, Norway. 4AD Records



The Depreciation Guild is a fuzzed-out, reverb drenched pop/electronic group consisting of Kurt Feldman-of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart (guitar, vocals, programming), Christoph Hochheim (guitar, vocals), and Anton Hochheim (drums). Backed solely by a Nintendo Entertainment System, the band blankets their sound with the crushing blows of its 8-Bit 2A03 sound chip. Drawing inspiration from classic dream-pop bands such as Pale Saints, and Cocteau Twins, as well as 80’s synth-pop masters such as Bill Nelson, Gangway, Scritti Politti and YMO, The Depreciation Guild have artfully cultivated a unique sound that strikes a balance between progressive and retro-chic. Kanine Records



Shark are a three-piece ethereal rock band from Boston/New Haven. Featuring mem. of Apse.


Tuesday, March 30, 2010

New England DIY Fest 2

Lots of festivals being announced these past few days. New England DIY Fest 2 has officially been announced. This year it will be a joint operation between Connecticut DIY Shows and Massachusetts based Spilt Milk Zine. Last year it was an all-day house party featuring Trunks n Tales, Wanli, Play It Faster, Birth Of Flower, Mutiny Amongst Friends and many more local bands.This year it is going to be hosted at a house in Westerly, RI (right on the CT/RI border.)

As of now, music is going to start Friday night at 7:30 pm - get their earlier if you're camping. Music will continue on Saturday afternoon, probably around 3:00 pm, and will last all day and all night. Sunday is going to be a giant hootenanny styled show. This is the very first show that CT DIY has ever booked with an admission cost, because there will be a lot of traveling bands, but it will only cost you somewhere between $5 to $10.

If you're going, plan to pack for a camping trip. Bring food and drinks for yourselves, a tent, sleeping gear, toilet paper, trash bags, anything you'll need. You'll also be expected to take care of your own garbage and recycling.

There's no official schedule yet, but here's what we know.

FRIDAY AND SATURDAY:
Edhochuli
Roadrage
Play It Faster!
Birth Of Flower
Yesplease
Trunks & Tales
Mutiny Amongst Friends
New Years Revolution
Lauren Adams
Wood Spider
Kill Conrad
Jake Jenkins
The Thin Heir
Big Wilson River
Mallory
Plastered Bastards
We Were Ghosts
Prisoner
Headhunt
The World is a Beautiful Place and I'm No Longer Scared to Die
Captain, We're Sinking
The Front Bottoms
The Fake Boys
Andras


SUNDAY:
Sunday each artist plays 2-3 songs each. There is no formal order of bands, every one just takes turns going up to play.

Anniversary Club
Ship Wrecks
The Dope Girls
The Space Demons
Big Wilson River
Mail Myself To Thoreau
Enoughalready
Matt Fox
Kevin Gaffey
Aaron Silver
Fung Wah Bus
Robin Hood
Derrick
Tyler Bussy (of Ain't No More Cane Old Hannah)


It's all subject to change, so please check back on the facebook invite and CT DIY's myspace entry for updates.

Monday, March 29, 2010

B.O.M.B. Fest New England

Connecticut local Frankie Bombaci put together B.O.M.B. Fest last year as way to get local artists onstage with national acts. B.O.M.B. stands for Bring Our Music Back, and last year's was a huge success, helping donate $30,000 to Connecticut’s Sound Music and Make-A-Wish organizations. They announced that the B.O.M.B. Fest New England this year will be held in Durham, CT on Sunday, May 30th. So far, they've only announced a few major players, but it will be 10 insane hours of music including more national headliners to be announced along with 20 incredible regional acts, so more info will be coming later. Here's the lineup so far:

Lupe Fiasco
Of Montreal
Girl Talk
Mute Math
Cool Kids
Roots of Creation
Christine Ohlman & Rebel Montez
40oz to Freedom

Sunday, May 30, 2010
12:00pm - 10:00pm
Durham Fairgrounds
24 Town House Road, Durham CT

Tickets:
$50 in advance, $60 at door
Purchase tickets online or at B.O.M.B. outlets - Ticket info

Beneficiaries:
Hole In The Wall Gang Camp
Connecticut Children’s Hospital
YPI - a children’s residential arts camp for artistic enrichment.
bringourmusicback.org

There will also be arts and crafts, picnic-style food, carousel rides and more!

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Show Review - Wrench in the Works (record release), Robots and Empire (NY), The Lows, Sabotage, Gods and Queens (PA), Cold Snap

March 27, 2010



This is my first contribution to the CT Indie blog; I hope it will not be my last. Since I moved to Connecticut from California I have been firmly rooted in the punk and hardcore community, witnessing some of the most enjoyable and most frightening occurrences a young punk can imagine. I’m no stranger to VFW halls and dusty basements, just two days before I was packed into a living room of a West Philadelphia home with 200 other chumps to see Paint It Black play their first show of the year, to freshen up in their hometown.

It’s events like this that make me smile from ear to ear, when friends carpool to see their friends off on a long-winded tour, or to celebrate new material. Wrench in the Works has been a staple of the Connecticut Hardcore scene for quite sometime. They just finished up recording their newest full length “Decrease/Increase” so it’s no doubt time for a solid night of relentless intensity and friends helping out friends.

Cold Snap was the first band of the night. They play a blend of groovy and dissonant punk that reminds me of Into Another, without the moral consciousness or self-awareness that goes along with bands of that era. Their vocalist Jack snarls and barks at the crowd who were standing almost uncomfortably three to five feet away. Out of the handful of times I have seen Cold Snap this was definitely one of their tighter performances. The energy was high and started off the night with a clamorous bang.



Almost instantly, there was a second band playing. I hardly had time to turn around and see how many people had filled up the room, and then I heard someone speaking into the microphone. Gods and Queens are a three-piece band who’s sound rivals that of the demolition of a single family home. The band features members of some of my favorite Philadelphia bands (Lick Golden Sky, Cassilis) but rather than play a rehashed carbon copy of metal/hardcore, they tear apart the rulebook. I see a lot of bands from Philadelphia “subscribe” to a genre only to attempt to reinvent it. Their blend of punk and metal can be best described as “spacey” and schizophrenic, not to mention the fact that three people can create noise so severe out of two amplifier cabinets and a drum kit is truly phenomenal.



Appearing next was Sabotage, a local band plagued by line up changes and for the longest time failing to get its feet off the ground. They of course, were playing with a fill in guitar player, but you couldn’t notice. Their take on modern hardcore in the vein of Carry On starts off with an intro song to rouse the crowd, but no one moved. Sabotage pressed on with their party hardcore without being overbearing and stale. Short, loud songs emphasized by lightning fast circle pit parts and bookended with earth shattering breakdowns. This band could easily be replacing artists like Bitter End on big hardcore fests in the future.



By this point in the night, I’m ready to go home. Being barraged with power chords and distortion for nearly two hours straight isn’t easy. What was about to happen next I could have in no way prepared myself. The Lows come from the same scene that all of these local punk and hardcore bands, but play an interesting mix of melodic metal and hardcore which gets lost over the layers of guitar loops, technical drumming, and hook less vocals. They set up stationary lights to set the mood, and whatever momentum the show had was immediately halted as the crowd watched on stunned, lost even, trailing their singer across the floor as if he were lost in a supermarket. I looked at every member as they played their hearts out and sweat poured from their brow but it was almost too late for me as I trailed into the back of the room after about halfway through. It took The Lows until the end of their performance to find some sort of cohesion, and ended their set on the same page, when I stood on top of a chair to see the crowd finally bobbing their heads to the beat, a positive reaction in my book. I hope that The Lows quit wavering in and out of musical styles and find their niche because as individuals they are incredible musicians.



Robots and Empire is a band that I had only seen one time prior to the night, and when I saw them, I was very impressed. They did not disappoint me a second time. They start off with a very deep and tone heavy bang and sprints off into some very passionate vocals. They are bringing something very new to the table as far as “stoner metal” is concerned. Newer bands like Torche and Mono tend to have very static climaxes in their music, and it seems that Robots and Empire make it their duty and obligation to constantly throw your ears for a loop, and then shatter then with down-tuned guitars and loud cymbal crashes.



Wrench in the Works set up their wall of amplifiers and their bass drum trigger to showcase their new material with. Their sampler was set up, their guitars were tuned and the lights were off. Behind them a backdrop with the cover art of their new record and blood red lights. They sailed into their set with blast beats and off tempo guitar chugs. Occasionally there would be a sweep of some minor scale and then back into the blasting. Darrell bangs his head and dreads fly everywhere, then he sings. His voice, as if he were possessed by some demon, rattles the room and adds a layer of tone and furiosity to their madness. Andy Nelson blasts on and riddles the air with click clacks of the triggered bass drum. And after what seemed like only an instant of confusion, Wrench finds their middle ground and breaks down their beat faster and harder than a wrecking ball. The crowd finally breaks open and fists are flying, people getting knocked into tables, flying into the fake wall separating the billiard room from the hall. Intense mosh. Their set carries on fiercely and only for about half an hour, the perfect time to watch a band.





In the middle of their set, Darrell explains a few things, a project called Project AK-47, a Christian based ministry program that aims to free child soldiers in Southeast Asia for a small donation ($7). This is where I go on to explain that Wrench in the Works is a Christian metal band, which I find a little bit ironic. I can pick out some pieces of their songs that remind me of bands like Tragedy and other atheist Pacific Northwest bands. Wrench doesn’t shove it down your throat, they’re not trying to convert anyone, but this ministry they are supporting is for a really good cause, because if you’re an atheist, Satanist, Christian, Jew, whatever you are, no one deserves to be subjected mentally, physically, or sexually in the name of violence. Not only that, but Wrench plays metal and hardcore more aggressively and sincerely than most bands who sing about dismantling religion.

The turn out was a little bit weak and was missing some of that special something that makes hometown record release shows pop, just under 150 people including band members and guests, and it took almost four hours for anyone to get excited. DIY punk and hardcore is not a spectator sport, and no one really gains from it. Jamie from Gods and Queens spoke a little bit about this subject at the show. We go to shows because we have something fundamentally wrong with our brains that makes us smile when we hear that one chord or that one drum beat or that “fuck the president” rant we’ve heard time and time again. This section of Connecticut hardcore is certainly an anomaly, which I don’t think I’ll ever understand. However what was the most special facet about the evening was the fact everyone got together to celebrate an accomplishment of their friends, and when this occurs, it’s also a small victory for the scene as a whole.

-Mitchell

www.manicproductions.org
more photos from this show here
more photos from manic shows here

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Bare Wires, Not the Kid @ Two Boots


Two Boots in Bridgeport is kicking out the jams with a couple of garage bands on Thursday night. Originally on the bill was on of my favorites, The Mystery Lights, but they canceled all their shows (even SXSW!) Oh well, California's apparently full of garage bands, and Bare Wires is still going to play. From what I've heard, these guys are really incredible live, so get yourself a slice of pie and rock the fuck out.

Also on the bill will be Ridgefield's Not the Kid, who are a bunch of sludgy, slimy garage punks. It's hard to find much info on them, other than the myspace, but they're on Danbury indie label Chowda House Inc.



Thursday, April 1st
Two Boots Bridgeport
9pm, free

Friday, March 26, 2010

Kicking Spit, Estrogen Highs, Big Eyes


April 2nd will be the day that garage rock takes over CT. At The FDZ (or The Fucking Discovery Zone) Estrogen Highs, Kicking Spit and Big Eyes will be playing what arguably the best show of the season. If you haven't heard of even one of these bands I'd recommend you sitting down and listening to all their respective tunes on myspace.




April 2 - The FDZ
Big Eyes
Kicking Spit
Estrogen Highs
Time: 7:00pm
Cost: N/A

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Title Tracks - It Was Easy

Solo project of John Davis, ex drummer from Q and Not U and Georgie James, Title Tracks features Davis writing and recording everything you hear on the album. New Haven's Safety Meeting Records has been working with Title Tracks and Washington D.C.'s label Dischord Records for a while now to bring you their new album "It Was Easy."

The album is simply divine power pop. After years of great albums with Q and Not U, this is almost the start of an entirely new sound, a little less punk and more sunshiny pop. It doesn't mean the edge is gone though. At its core, the songs are powerful three-chord, three-minute pop tunes that you'd be crazy not to love. The songwriting is really strong here, with multi-faceted instrumentation and complex changes cropping up, but Davis shows that he's still the master of a powerful hook. On the single "Every Little Bit Hurts," the instrumentation is sparse but there's a lot of small guitar changes that keep the song changing drastically throughout; but he keeps returning to the same catchy, sing-a-long hook. It has all got this great Elvis Costello vibe.

The songs aren't just simple happy go lucky tunes though, there's a lot of complexity to each song. Each tune is chock full of interesting guitar work and fun vocal tricks that keep you listening. He's also fantastic at throwing in tiny musical references to other genres. Snippets of late-era rocksteady horns and guitar upstrokes are littered all over the song "No, Girl," which is my favorite track of the album. I might be the only guy who appreciates The Abyssinians, but geez that's a great sound. It's a bit melancholy compared to the rest of the tracks, but it's still well within the realm of blissful pop. The last song "She Don't Care About Time," sounds like Britpop, especially the Supergrass-esque layered vocal outro.

All in all, it's a really solid album. It's catchy, fun and upbeat the whole way through, and never really loses momentum. Clearly, he's got some great ideas and is more than capable of weaving the straw into gold. It'll be very interesting where he takes this project in the future.

So far he's released two videos where he is joined by his friends and touring band, with Nick Anderson on guitar, Michael Cotterman on bass and Andrew Black on drums. Check 'em out:

Title Tracks : Steady Love from John Davis on Vimeo.



Title Tracks : Piles Of Paper from John Davis on Vimeo.


You can pick up the It Was Easy 12" and the Every Little Bit Hurts 7" from Safety Meeting's merch store. Don't let this one pass you by. It's a beautiful record. And it's a numbered, limited press run of 500, with a download code.

You can also listen to their live set from SXSW last week free over on NPR. They played a blistering 20 minute set at the Gibson Guitar Showroom. CLICK

Birth of Summer II lineup announced


Against All Odds Productions just announced the lineup for the second rendition of The Birth of Summer! It'll be held all day on Saturday, June 19. The show will be all ages, but the cost is still TBA (possibly $7 according to the Frazetta painting??). It will be a benefit for Willimantic's Wrench in the Works Collective, a great venue, coffeehouse and community center. They've announced fifteen bands so far:

An Albatross
Brava Spectre
Mahi Mahi (Members of Chinese Stars)
The Neon Leather Drip (Members of florida = Death)
Death To New England (Members of The Battle Cats)
Know Nothing
Problem With Dragons
Night of The Rabbit (members of The Chuck Hestons)
Stone Titan
1/2 Shaved Yak
Anisette
28 Degrees Taurus
Bunnies
David Carradine
Apocalyptic Youth

Be sure to respond to the Facebook event page for more info and updates.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

SWAN Day - Support Women Artists Now

Saturday, April 3, 2010:


Location:
The Warehouse
45 Bartholomew Ave
Hartford

$12, 7PM, 21+

On Saturday, April 3rd 2010, Hartford CT will be joining a world-wide celebration of women artists as part of the third international SWAN (Support Women Artists Now) Day. SWAN Day is a holiday being facilitated by WomenArts, a non-profit arts service organization which is dedicated to helping women artists get the resources they need to do their creative work. Over the past decade WomenArts has raised over $4 million and built a website that offers networking, fundraising and advocacy services to over 500,000 visitors a year. SWANDAY CT started in 2008 and is founded by Jennifer Hill, front woman of the band Jennifer Hill and Co. The show is dedicated to raising the awareness of women's presence in ALL things artistic (music, photography, painting, dance, sculpture, mixed media,burlesque) and to gain exposure for talented female artists within CT and the tri state area.

The lineup includes:

Jennifer Hill and Co.
She Eats Planets
Eula
Hanna's Groove
Sarah Lemeiux
Rachel Borovik
Petulant Child
Corina Presutti
Emilyis

Maiiah: Burlesque/snake dancer/bellydancer
Amy Blackwood Burlesque Performer

Artists Include: Kerry Kozaczuk, Vicious Kitty, Kimba, Melissa Foetsch, Marisa Copley, Laurie Beth Maffeo, Elizabeth Land, June Mita, Jennifer Klepacki, Audrey Totire, Latanya Barrett, Kae Budnik, Laura Fitzpatrick, Dama DeManche, Sue Fenton, Karen Sevenoff, Andela Pinney, Henna Artist Lauren Grover

Wrench in the Works- Decrease/Increase


Perennial Connecticut hardcore favorite Wrench in the Works released their latest effort "Decrease/Increase" on California based Facedown Records last week. Fans of their last release "The Lost Art of Heaping Coal" can expect more punishing breakdowns, guitar work that is obliterating and sometimes spazzy like old Dillenger Escape Plan, and incredibly technical drumming that is so good, your head will be left spinning just trying to keep up with it. Wrench in the Works are as progressive as they are brutal. It's rare for a band to push the boundaries of a music genre while still maintaining a familiarity to its origins and its influence and Wrench in the Works are beginning to make their way into that position. "Decrease/Increase" should (deservedly) be a gateway to a new legion of fans for the band.

As good as their recordings are, Wrench in the Work's has a live show that I have yet to see be touched by a local hardcore band. They are wonderfully tight and faithful to their recordings while unleashing a sort of intensity that can only be properly experienced in an intimate setting. The band is playing it's record release show in Prospect Connecticut Saturday March 27 with some fantastic support. Poughkeepsie New York based post hardcore band Robots and Empire might be the best band of that genre in quite some time. Philadelphia three piece Gods and Queens bring an experimental, unique and often times spacey sound to the bill. Also playing are Connecticut's own The Lows, who's new album "In Waves" is their most mature and interesting work yet (download it at the link below for free). Arrive early to check out two great Connecticut hardcore bands in Sabotage and Cold Snap.

Wrench in the Works

$8 in advance/$10 at door (Like most Manic shows, you can purchase advance tickets at Redscroll Records in Wallingford, or online at www.manicproductions.org )
6 P.M. All Ages
218 Chesire Road, Prospect CT

Redscroll Records 3 Year Anniversary


Redscroll Records, your favorite record store, is celebrating their 3 year anniversary by having a humongous week-long sale. The sale will run from April 12th – April 18th. All week long, everything in the store will be 20% off. I hope they don't run out of records. They're also going to start opening on Mondays (finally!) and their new hours will be as follows:

Sunday & Monday, 12 noon – 6pm
Tuesday – Saturday, 12 noon – 8pm

In honor of the event, they'll be running special events every night.

Thursday, April 15th:
Poetry, Story & Zine Night
7pm In-Store (Free)
with Kyle Connecticut, Luc Rioual, Migzy, Michael Bozzuto, Mike Tobey & More!

Friday, April 16th:
Hip-Hop Showcase at Café 9
9pm, 21+, $5
Bisco Smith
DJ Lokash
Mizery Crew (Benn Grim, Timmy Wiggins, Metal Heart, Deefy)
with a free raffle giveaway of a Numark TTUSB Record Player

Saturday, April 17th:
Record Store Day
open early, 10am
Exclusive Limited Titles, Snacks, Goodie Bags
Spend $100 = get a free t-shirt
with a special surprise in store at 8PM

Sunday, April 18th:
Noise Showcase
6pm, In-Store (free)
Halflings
Roman Wolfe
Poison Fingers


This should be a killer week in Wallingford. For those of you too lazy to look it up or have no clue, Redscroll Records is located at 24 North Colony Rd., Wallingford, CT.

Field Recordings Dates

~photo:JosephGallo

3/26: Legend's Rock Bar (w/ Crunk Witch), Gale's Ferry, CT
3/30: Lit Lounge, NYC (Just in case)
4/2: B&G Lounge, South Windsor, CT
4/4: Arlene's Grocery, NYC (Just in case)
4/10: South Street Stage, Waterbury, CT
4/16: B&G Lounge, South Windsor, CT
4/23: South Street Stage, Waterbury, CT
4/24: El'N'Gee Club, New London, CT


<a href="http://thefieldrecorders.bandcamp.com/album/statescapes-single">Statescapes by THE FIELD RECORDINGS</a>

Estrogen Highs at Whitney House

Thursday, March 25, 2010:

Deep Sleep...err, a band?
Night Birds
Estrogen Highs

Wish I could have found a bigger version of the poster, because that shit is hilarious. What I did come across is some guy's blog called Well Fed. His name is Derrick, he's from Western Mass, but goes to school here in Hartford. He also mentions that he lives off beans and rice, so you do not want to ever be in the same room as him. Point being that if this show is up your alley, Derrick's blog would be too.

Also, once again I'm going to miss Estrogen Highs play. From now on the Estrogen Highs are only allowed to book their shows around my personal life so that I can actually see them live. *Stomping my feet and throwing a hissy fit*


$5
8pm
Whitney House, Hartford, CT

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Singing Bridges with Elison Jackson and the Bohemians

Thursday, March 25, 2010:


LOCATION:
Cafe Nine
250 State Street
New Haven CT

$4 - 8:00PM - 21+

Check out Bob's post about this show on New Haven Music for some more deets.

Elison Jackson and the Bohemians was a surprise! Hadn't heard of them yet, and so clicked over to their page. Amazing what a church loft and pine trees can inspire.

Check out our review of the Singing Bridges EP Three Trains here: CLICK.

The Smittens with The Wee Bees

Saturday, March 27, 2010, Tweefort presents:


ArtSpace New Haven
50 Orange Street
New Haven, CT
Music starts at 8PM sharp
$5 / all ages

From Tweefort's site:
Every so often we here at Tweefort actually put on a band that some might classify as “twee.” Most of the bands we book fall somewhere in the broader “indiepop” definition … or the even broader “pop” definition. However, Burlington, VT’s The Smittens have that cute, child-like quality that might plop them right smack dab in the middle of the twee spectrum. It’s not often New Haven gets a good dose of full-on tweepop, so you’re not going to want to miss this.

The Wee Bees are New Haven’s newest pop band. The group includes ex-members of The Inclined Plane, The Caligulists and Manchester By The Sea — as well as one-half of Tweefort. The Wee Bees have an 80s- and 90s-inspired C86/shoegazey sound.

Fake Four, Inc. Spring Tour

New Haven-based recording label Fake Four Inc. is currently in the middle of a huge US tour. They've just finished a stint at SXSW and will be headed back to the East Coast very soon, hitting New Haven's Cafe 9 on March 31st. The bill features loads of indie hip-hop artists from the label.

Fake Four, Inc. was established in 2007 by Ceschi Ramos, a New Haven local. He started the label as an outlet for his own group of bands, Anonymous, Inc. and has been growing ever since. The label's been run with the strictly DIY ethic, partnering with Squids Eye Records and Grimm Image Records, but still maintaining a strong independent spirit. They don't really have a "sound," releasing everything from hip-hop to metal to indie folk from all around the world. The only thing they have in common is all of their artists are somehow slightly removed from the normal established musical traditions. They've been gaining national attention a lot lately, with releases from bands like Electric President, Boy In Static, Awol One, Factor, and more.


Headlining the show will be Sole and the Skyrider Band. They are fronted by Sole, one of the founding members of the Anticon collective and key figure in the experimental hip hop movement. The guy has played with everyone, from Genghis Tron to Enon. He's since parted ways with Anticon, and is currenly working with the Skyrider Band. They released the album "Plastique," in 2007, which got great reviews. It features the great tune “Battlefields." It's a collaboration with Markus Acher, lead singer of The Notwist. Check out the video below:



The show will also feature Onry Ozzborn (of Grayskul/Oldominion/Rhymesayers fame) and his new project Dark Time Sunshine. You can check out his new release "Believeyoume," which was made available as a free download. They play a blend of vintage hip-hop beats with trippy reverb and dub echo running throughout.

Label founder Ceschi will also be playing. While his tunes are hip-hop, they blend together pop and acoustic folk sensabilites. His music is relaxing and listenable, but he's got pretty deep-cutting lyrics. Check out this video of him on KRCX:



Here's the east coast tour dates:

March 29 - New York, NY @ The Knitting Factory
March 31 - New Haven, CT @ Cafe 9
April 1 - Boston, MA @ The Western Front
April 2 - Portland, ME @ The Space

For a full list of dates, head over to their site. Full details about the Cafe 9 show:

Manic Productions Presents:
Sole & the Skyrider Band
Dark Time Sunshine
Ceschi

March 31
Cafe 9, New Haven
9:00pm, 21+, $8

Tickets available here or at Redscroll Records.

Murder By Death Almost Sold Out

Saturday, May 1, 2010, Manic Productions presents:

LOCATION:
Cafe Nine
250 State Street
New Haven CT

$14 - 8:00PM - 21+

DIRECTIONS: CLICK

Less than 90 tickets left! Get tix before it sells out here: CLICK. Or pick them up at Redscroll Records.


Murder By Death
A super rare small club appearance! Indiana’s Murder by Death layers the vocal sounds of an old saloon with the haunting strings of a Hungarian folk dance and the hard driving rhythms of pure rock ‘n’ roll, producing what Stuff magazine has called “lush, orchestrated songs,” somehow simultaneously reminiscent of Johnny Cash and Radiohead. Added to that thick and intriguing sound are a series of dark and ironic lyrics, combining the mood and tone of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds with the narrative force of The Decemberists or a short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

Ha Ha Tonka
A confident set of rootsy indie-rock combining a variety of well-crafted songs with excellent harmonies. At times the band’s sound recalls Kings of Leon, but other influences poke through, from backwoods gospel to the Replacements. From Missouri.

Linfinity are a New York City based group of musicians who helped form a band around enigmatic front man Dylan Von Wagner, tackling everything from Southern Gothic tropes and rockabilly to beautiful, string-laden Moorish stomps and bombastic chamber pop.

The tour:
Mar 13 – Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop
Mar 19 – Austin, TX @ La Zona Rosa (Vagrant Records SXSW Showcase)
Mar 20 – Hamden, CT @ Quinnipiac University – Alumni Hall
Mar 31 – St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway Nightclub *
Apr 1 – Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room *
Apr 2 – Denver, CO @ Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom *
Apr 3 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Bar Deluxe *
Apr 5 – Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern *
Apr 6 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge *
Apr 8 – San Francisco, CA @ Slim’s *
Apr 9 – Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour *
Apr 10 – Costa Mesa, CA @ Detroit Bar *
Apr 11 – San Diego, CA @ The Casbah *
Apr 12 – Scottsdale, AZ @ The Rhythm Room *
Apr 14 – Oklahoma City, OK @ The Conservatory *
Apr 15 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s Alternative Lounging (Indoor) *
Apr 16 – Houston, TX @ Mango’s *
Apr 17 – Denton, TX @ Rubber Gloves *
Apr 19 – Hattiesburg, MS @ Thirsty Hippo *
Apr 20 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade Downstairs *
Apr 21 – Birmingham, AL @ Bottle Tree *
Apr 23 – Ybor City, FL @ The Orpheum *
Apr 24 – Orlando, FL @ The Backbooth *
Apr 25 – Gainesville, FL @ Common Grounds *
Apr 27 – Columbia, SC @ New Brookland Tavern *
Apr 28 – Baltimore, MD @ The Ottobar *
Apr 29 – Cambridge, MA @ Middle East: Downstairs *
Apr 30 – South Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground *
May 1 – New Haven, CT @ Café Nine *
May 2 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg *
May 4 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom *
May 5 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s *
May 7 – Millvale, PA @ Mr. Smalls *
May 9 – Cleveland Heights, OH @ Grog Shop *
May 10 – Kalamazoo, MI @ The Strutt *
May 11 – Madison, WI @ The High Noon Saloon *
May 12 – Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock *
May 13 – Iowa City, IA @ Picador *
May 14 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall *
May 15 – Chicago, IL @ Reggie’s Rock Club *
May 22 – Chemnitz, Germany @ Fuego a la Isla Festival

* Headlining tour with Ha Ha Tonka and Linfinity

Monday, March 22, 2010

Maribelle, Sunspots, Hi Planes Drifter

Wednesday, March 24th


LOCATION:
The Space
295 Treadwell Street
Hamden CT

$10 - 7:00PM - All Ages

DIRECTIONS: CLICK

Facebook event page: HERE

Remember when we were talking about Matt Sargent? One of the projects that he is part of, called Sunspots, is playing The Space. Here's a bio:

If you pulled the rusting factories, odd urban centers, and dairy farms of Connecticut into a sound, you’d come close to a band like Sunspots. The Hartford-based band started writing songs in the summer of 2009. They recorded a handful of these songs in a converted factory mill in the fall, and have since been playing to audiences across the Northeast. While maintaining projects outside the band ranging from contemporary/experimental music ensembles to rhythm-and-blues bands, Kevin, Fredo, Matt Sargent, and Charlie Dye come together to craft fine-tuned songs, which sometimes deviate into post-country tunes (think Silver Jews or Smog) and occasionally deconstruct into fuzzed-out analog synth jam outs.

The group is currently busy at work finishing tracks for an EP release this summer.

Also playing are Maribelle, acoustic indie rock from Chicago, Illinois and locals Hi Planes Drifter an indie/ experimental band.

Friday at Sully's


Friday at Sully's you can see Closely Watched Trains take Sully's by storm. A while ago I wrote about CWT's eponymous release, which you can download for free for a limited time on their label, Twin Lakes Records' website. I haven't been able to catch these guys live yet, but from what I've heard they put on a great show. They're also going to be playing at the Daffodil Festival on April 24th in Meriden.

As for Providence/NYC outfit You Scream I Scream, they're a funny band who plays alt rock in the vein of mid-90s psuedo-grunge really similar to dudes like The Presidents of the United States of America, Toadies and Soul Coughing. If you're feeling nostalgic for the days where you used to put on "Possum Kingdom" and tool around on your bike, check these guys out.




Also on the bill are Swarm the Moon. These guys are a brand new group from New Haven, and don't have a lot of material, but it looks like they play some really loud shit at Artspace back in December with Steven Deal:


Saturday, March 20, 2010

Ben Folds w/ Kate Miller-Heidke @ The Klein



You may know Ben Folds from his band The Ben Folds Five or The Bens but on April 7th you get to see him up close and personal. He will be playing a solo show at The Klein in Fairfield with Australian pianist Kate Miller-Heidke opening. Also, if you're a Fairfield Theatre Company member you get $5 off of ticket price.



The Klein - April 7th

Ben Folds
Kate Miller-Heidke
Time: 7:00pm
Cost: $32.50(FTC members) - $37.50

Wry record release


Wry is playing two shows at the end of March. They're doing this because they're releasing their new 7" which is great, so you better pick it up. Don't believe me? You can listen to and download the tracks early from their bancamp site below:

<a href="http://wrymusic.bandcamp.com/album/wry-blueprint-tempt-7">Blueprint to Nero by Wry</a>

Anyway, you can catch Wry at either show (or both):

March 27th @ Rudy's
Wry
Penny Winblood
Humanoid

March 28th @ The Space
Wry
Olde York
The Clefts
Cry Havoc

Friday, March 19, 2010

Brotherhood of Theives, A.M.O.S., Walking Elliot, more @ El N Gee Club


Nothing makes me happier than getting emails from sick local bands about sick local shows. We usually get batch emails from cover bands going on tour or dutch bands trying to find shows in NY, but today we lucked out. Brotherhood of Thieves will be playing at El N Gee on March 26th with a ton of other bands. With bands ranging from garage to folk, you should find something you like at this show.

Compromise Unlikely



The El N' Gee Club - March 26th
86 Golden St -New London

Brotherhood of Thieves
A Moment of Silence
Waking Elliot
Swim the Mind
Jessthechamp
Thriftstore Catastrophe

Time: 7:00pm
Cost: $10

Electric Jellyfish EP and tour


Twin Lakes Records, the guys behind Closely Watched Trains and Myty Konkeror have released a new self-titled EP by Australian band Electric Jellyfish. It's dark, sludgy, mind-melting blues psychedelia, with snarling punk vocals. If I could shout at you until you download this album; you've just gotta hear it. You can snag the album for free while it lasts over on Twin Lakes' website, so move your ass over there.

Fun fact: their 2008 EP, "The Woods," was released on Thurston Moore/Byron Coley collaborative label Ecstatic Yod.

They're smack dab in the middle of a US tour, chock full of east coast dates. They will be playing two back-to-back dates in CT this spring, so you'll be able to see these guys live. Here's their tour dates for the East Coast shows they're doing, but head over to their myspace for full tour details:

Apr 7 - The Court Tavern, New Brunswick, NJ
Apr 9 - Goodbye Blue Monday, New York, NY
Apr 10 - Human BBQ festival @ Pilam, w/ Blues Control, Birds of Maya plus many more, Philadelphia, PA
Apr 11 - The Elevens, Northampton, MA
Apr 12 - Death By Audio, New York, NY
Apr 13 - Daniel St., Milford, CT
Apr 13 - live on WFMU w/ Brian Turner, New York, NY
Apr 14 - Cafe Nine w/ Thunderfakers and Radical Dads, New Haven, CT

Mondo Carnie

Tomorrow, Ideat Village & Hygienic Art present
MONDO CARNIE
a genuine 10-in-1 show

Witness these exotic anomalies:
The IRON MAIDENS of GALLIPOLI
LOOKETHA's EXPLODING HEAD
The MIND-BENDING MIRRORS of MOFA
The MUSEUM of UNNATURAL SELECTION
CAVEMAN vs. ROBOT
AMERICAN CIRCUMSTANCE (a lipgloss crisis)
The ORIGINAL SPUTNIK!
HAMBURGER PEOPLE
The MUSEUM of FALSE ART

a truly surreal and shocking experience, not for the faint of heart

The largest collection of indiscriminate perspective ever housed under one roof!

(click poster for full details)

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Pearl Jam, Band of Horses


For those who aren't aware, Pearl Jam announced that they will play eleven Midwest and East Coast tour dates in May of 2010 including the XL Center on May 15th. Opening for them will be the illustrious Band of Horses. Not typically our bag to talk about this kind of thing, but whatever.

Tickets go on sale tomorrow at 10AM so click over as soon as you can.



Pearl Jam
Band Of Horses

XL Center
Hartford, CT
May 15, 2010
7:30pm, $69

Cherry Street Station Sunday


Sunday, March 21st, you can catch some riff heavy metal at your favorite metal joint, Cherry Street Station. Playing will be Maine's AoK Suicide Forest, who've only been around since last summer but have been assaulting Portland with some really insane tunes. Also playing will be CT's legendary noisy sludge band Sea of Bones and Stone Titan, brutal newcomers from Windsor. It's a free show, but keep in mind, it's 21+ only!

AOK Suicide Forest
Sea of Bones
Stone Titan

Juiceboxxx, 2 Ton Bug, Fake Babies @ Cafe Nine


Do you know what you're gonna be doing April 7th? I do, I'm gonna be at Cafe Nine watching Juiceboxxx, 2 Ton Bug, Fake Babies, D. Gookin and Shams blowing up amps and starting an electronic orgy. Not only is it a mix of the best local electronic/experimental, it's free as hell to get in.



Time: 9:00pm
Cost: Free

RX Bandits, Zechs Marquise,The Builders and the Butchers


RX Bandits have been in the music game for years, mixing reverb laced guitars with trippy lyrics before it was cool. They have been on tour with Zech's Marquise and The Builders and the Butchers for the past month and will be hitting CT on the 29th.



Toad's Place - March 29th
RX BANDITS
The Builders and the Butchers
Zechs Marquise
Time: 8:00pm
Cost: $13 adv. / $15 day of show


Fatal Film, Get Haunted, Straight to VHS take Groton

Kind of last-minute notice, and I haven't heard of the venue before, but CT Indie favorites and New London heroes Fatal Film, Get Haunted and Straight to VHS will be playing at the Backstage Rock Bar at Rose's Cantina in Groton. It doesn't look like the kind of place that would normally have an indie show like this, but who knows, Mötley Crüe might come back in style soon. I know I've been known to rock Dr. Feelgood with the volume cranked and the windows open.

Backstage @ Rose's Cantina
577 Route 12, Groton, CT

Fatal Film
Get Haunted
Straight to VHS

9:00PM, $5

&amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://fatalfilm.bandcamp.com/album/thrillr"&amp;amp;amp;gt;First Step by Fatal Film&amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;gt;

&amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://gethaunted.bandcamp.com/album/cedar-grove-silver-eyes"&amp;amp;amp;gt;Cedar Grove by Get Haunted&amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;gt;

&amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://straighttovhs.bandcamp.com/album/self-titled-2"&amp;amp;amp;gt;Hey by Straight to VHS&amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;gt;

Judgement Day, MT Bearington, Kimono Draggin'


I was looking at this poster and this sent me spiraling into a frenzy of thought about one of the many mysteries of the English language. Apparently the word "judgment" can also be spelled "judgement" even though my spell-checker would like to argue with that fact. If you ask me, it doesn't look right either way you spell it. English is odd. But man, fuck that noise, it's all about music. On March 28th at Daniel Street you can catch the most raucous Sunday night concert to hit Milford in years. No, I'm not talking about the Beatles A-Z cover band that's playing there merely hours before, I'm talking about the brutal onslaught of string metal that you'll be experiencing thanks to Judgement Day. You might not have eyes or ears left after experiencing this show, but you'll thank them for it, I promise. Add to the fact that you can see MT Bearington and Kimono Draggin', and you've got a hell of a crazy night on your hands.

Judgement Day's violinist Anton Patzner has toured extensively, recorded and performed with bands like Bright Eyes, The Faint, All American Rejects, Two Gallants and.... oh screw it. You don't care about that, you care about rocking out to brutal metal. Well, you're in luck because Judgement Day is best summed up in the following video:



If you read this site, you know who MT Bearington is. They just finished up their tour with Mates of State, and have been releasing cool videos all year. Seriously, if you get a chance, just search our site for MT Bearington for all kinds of goodies. There are also some new MT tracks available on the bandcamp which you should hear:

<a href="http://mtbearington.bandcamp.com/album/love-buttons">Here's Your Mood Ring, Honey by M.T. Bearington</a>


As for Kimono Draggin' - well they're a hard rocking trio of dudes that won't back down. They blast out crazy high energy art-punk at the highest level their amps will allow. I wrote a bit about them a while back. Check out their cover of Zappa right here and you'll hear why they're awesome:

<a href="http://kimonodraggin.bandcamp.com/track/willie-gets-tortured">Willie Get's Tortured by Kimono Draggin'</a>


Judgement Day
MT Bearington
Kimono Draggin'
Sun, March 28th
9PM / 21+/ $5

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Foxy Shazam + Bad Rabbits + The Young Veins @ Webster Underground - April 1


Man o man, this looks like a great way to start out April. Foxy Shazam is an eccentric experimental outfit from Cinnciniti that dropped their newest album in February. With them will be The Young Veins and Bad Rabbits. If you're a fan of Prince and the motherfu*kin Time or any form of soul then don't miss out on Bad Rabbits. Finally I get to The Young Veins a band that sounds like they're heavily influenced by the psychedelic music scene, always great in my book. I haven't been this hyped up for a show in a while, this should be one of the greats of the year.




Webster Underground - April 1st
Foxy Shazam
Bad Rabbits
The Young Veins
Time: 6pm
Cost: $10

FayRey, The Field Recordings at Two Boots

Holy crap - tomorrow night, you can catch FeyRey and The Field Recordings at Two Boots in Bridgeport! This is a part of Indie Thursdays at Two Boots, who run free shows every Thursday. FayRey destroyed a set at last year's Elm City Popfest, which we recorded and you can download and listen to right here. The Field Recordings are a great new band that are playing tons of shows all over the state. We ran a quick feature on their release "The Sad Catalogers" a while back. I know this is a little link-heavy, but these are some real cool bands that you should be listening to. Best of all, this show is free, and Two Boots has great pizza!

&amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://thefieldrecorders.bandcamp.com/album/the-sad-cataloguers"&amp;amp;amp;gt;The Awkward Circuit Boards (Or: Look Out! I Think I'm Going To FEEL!) by THE FIELD RECORDINGS&amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;gt;


Thursday, March 18th
Two Boots Bridgeport
FayRey
The Field Recordings
9pm, free