Thursday, July 29, 2010

Arab On Radar, Brava Spectre, No Babies, Orange Coax

Friday, July 30, 2010, Manic Productions presents:


Location
Cafe Nine
250 State Street
New Haven CT

$10 - 9:00PM - 21+

Directions

Buy tickets now or pick them up at Redscroll Records

Pre-Chinese Stars. Arab on Radar, from Providence (but originally from Connecticut), comprises singer Eric Paul, guitarists Steve and Jeff Schneider, and drummer Craig Kurek. On the early singles, Kangaroo (Heparin, 1997) and Swimming With a Hard-on (Load, 1998), they played an artsy brand of noise-rock that borrows evenly from new wave and beach-punk. Queen Hygiene II (Heparin, 1998 - 31G, 2003), their first album, continued on that war path with terrifying blasts of chaos. The band has reformed and will play their first CT show since 2002! Three One G.



Brava Spectre:
Spazz Jazz / Art Grind / Noise-Metal Bebop quartet from New London CT.

No Babies, is without question one of the most important bands in the bay area. This six piece punk band spew songs at you with incredible energy. Fueled by female vocals, two drummers, two guitarists, and an assortment of reed instruments.

Orange Coax:
Noisy garage rock from Denton, Texas.

Arab On Radar tour:
Jul 30 - 9:00P Cafe Nine NEW HAVEN, Connecticut
Jul 31 - 9:00P The Cake Shop New York
Aug 6 - 9:00P Lambi Montreal, Quebec, CANADA
Aug 7 - 9:00P The Garrison Toronto, ON, CANADA
Aug 8 - 8:00P The Bug Jar Rochester, New York
Sep 2 - 9:00P The Eagle Tavern San Francisco, California
Sep 3 - 9:00P The Sex Los Angeles, California
Sep 4 - 9:00P The Che Cafe La Jolla, California
Sep 5 - 9:00P The Smell Los Angeles, California

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Tour des Farms

Hey, biking is fun. Why not spend Sunday biking around a bunch of local farms in CT? Tour des Farms is a day-long, 25-mile bicycle ride sponsored by CT Folk. It'll be held on Sunday, August 1. You'll be going to local farms, greenhouses, orchards, and historic sites in the greater New Haven area. It's meant to be sort of a showcase of fun places, great food, and also a showcase of local musicians. At each stop along the road, riders will be entertained by a Connecticut-grown musician. The tour will end with the amazing Caravan of Thieves!


Here's a list of who's playing:
Brian Dolzani
Kate Callahan
Frank Critelli
John Cimabriello
Caravan of Thieves

For more information, click on over to the CT Folk page.

All proceeds from the Tour des Farms registration fees and the evening concert support the educational activities of CT Folk.

The Avengers, Lost Generation, The Pleasure Kills

On Saturday July 31, 2010


Penelope Houston with new haircut - photo by Patrick Roques


Location:
Cafe Nine
250 State Street
New Haven CT

$12 ($10 advance) - 9:00PM - 21+

Directions


San Francisco's notorious, Class-of-77 female-led punk rock band The Avengers, featuring the iconic Penelope Houston on vocals and Greg Ingraham on guitar, have toured the world since their 2002 reformation and are showing no signs of slowing down. The line-up – augmented by long-serving members, Joel Reader (Mr. T Experience/Pansy Division) on bass and Luis Illades (Pansy Division) on drums – remains a complete and total inspirational powerhouse on stage - just as they were three decades ago.

Now sit back and let granpappy read this here press release to ya:

From their archetypal teenage beginnings in 1977 until their ragged split in 1979, The Avengers played just over 100 shows, leaving behind only one artifact: a 3-song 7" EP, released on Dangerhouse records. They pioneered West coast Punk, headlining shows with legendary early first-wave bands, The Weirdos, X, The Germs, The Go Gos, The Dils, and the Dead Kennedys – not to mention playing direct support to the Sex Pistols at their legendary last show at the Winterland Ballroom.

That performance earned them a recording session with Pistols' guitarist Steve Jones – the results of which were released posthumously on a 4-song 12" EP on White Noise Records. In 1983, the band gathered further recordings and put out the self-titled full length LP, now informally known as the 'pink album'. All three discs quickly went out of print and The Avengers' recorded legacy remained enshrouded in mystery for almost two decades. That is, until subsequent generations of new fans increased the demanded the old recordings leading to a flood of bootlegs and finally, The Avengers Died For Your Sins, [an official collection of live and studio recordings (Lookout! Records, 1999)] and The American in Me, featuring one of their final shows, as well as some stripped-down studio versions of classics that had recently resurfaced (DBKWorks, 2004).

After The Avengers breakup in 1979, Houston moved to Los Angeles to work in film and video with infamous punks The Screamers as well as with director Rene Daalder. She then moved to England where she collaborated with singer Howard Devoto on his post-Magazine projects. Eventually, she returned to San Francisco and helped originate the West coast neo-psyche-folk movement. By 1996, she toured Europe extensively, signed with to a major label and earned numerous awards for her music. To date, she's released a dozen albums, all of which blend her influences of punk, folk, rock, blues and Americana into her darkly unique acoustic genius.

Avengers bassist, James Wilsey went on to greater recognition originating the haunting guitar sound that launched Chris Isaak's career. Drummer Danny [Furious] O'Brien worked with Joan Jett to form the earliest incarnation of the Blackhearts and played briefly with Social Distortion before moving to Sweden.

In 2004, Houston reformed the band with the original guitarist, Greg Ingraham and a dazzling new rhythm section featuring bassist Joel Reader (Mr. T Experience, Plus Ones, El Vez) and drummer Luis Illades (Pansy Division, Plus Ones). They've performed in select American markets, headlined two European tours and supporting The Damned in the UK, where they were met with adoring crowds and critical acclaim. The Avengers have sold out shows from Los Angeles to Rome, including a sweat drenched performance in the last days of the legendary CBGB's.

Now, 30 years from their inception, there is no doubt of their place in punk history.

Lost Generation are a punk band from Connecticut that was formed by singer/songwriter Joe Dias in '81. The original line-up included fellow Connecticut musicians Glenn Sanders on drums, BADBOB Therrien on guitar and Sach on bass. The bands first release, 1982’s Never Work” featured three original tunes and a 33 second version of “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” simply titled “L.S.D.” Word of the band spread quickly beyond the small Connecticut scene as critics proclaimed the title track a new punk anthem. By the end of the year New York’s leading alternative paper, The Village Voice, listed “Never Work” as one of the top five singles of the year.

The Pleasure Kills are a newer female fronted 80's power pop punk band from San Francisco.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

New Titles Video Premieres at Magnet Magazine's Website



From Magnet Magazine:

Titles frontman Brad Amorosino is a man of many talents. Besides being a musician, he moonlights as an illustrator; in fact, his illustrated fairy tale book, The Demon And The Dirt Bell, inspired the name of the New Haven, Conn., quintet’s latest release, Dirt Bell. The album, which was recorded in various locales all over Titles’ home state, is out August 13 on Safety Meeting Records. Now, Amorosino can add “video artist” to his resume, as he created this video featuring a Lite-Brite (remember those?) for “When You Were Young,” which premieres [July 20 on] magnetmagazine.com.



La Strada Returns to Rudy's

Thursday, July 29, Safety Meeting Presents,


Location:
Rudy's
372 Elm St
New Haven, CT

9PM - $4 - 21+

Come celebrate the final days of Rudy's old location with an extraordinary evening of rock n roll. Safety Meeting is bringing La Strada back to the Elm City to entertain us. New Haven's Goodnight Blue Moon will be on hand as well. Rumor has it that copies of the new La Strada record "New Home" will be available for you to pick up at the show. Do not miss this show, it's jammed packed with strings, accordion, incredible vocal harmonies, pop hooks, frites, binge drinking, air conditioning, records, and there's a good chance that a lot of us are gonna get laid.

Monday, July 26, 2010

Rudy's Last Show


(Rudy's outdoor sign. Photo by Caren Parmelee)

This Saturday, July 31st marks the final original location show at downtown New Haven's favorite Townie and Yalie dive bar, Rudy's. Included on the bill will be Connecticut's own The Black Noise Scam and Nasty Disaster as well as New York's The Boardlords.

The first show I remember seeing at Rudy's was the Butterflies of Love in 2001. At that point there was no stage, no outside patio and only a rudimentary sound system at best (and yes, you could still smoke inside). Bands would often have to shift tables and chairs around just to find room to play. By 2002, a stage was added as well as a relative upgrade to the sound system thus clearing the way for more and more music to come through. There were full on rock shows on Thursdays, Saturdays and the occasional Sunday, jazz on Tuesdays and DJs on other nights of the week. Several great shows occurred during this time including bands like The Wrens, The Dirty Projectors, The Dresden Dolls, Sasquatch and the Sick-A-Billys, Suckers and more, as well as a slew of great locals like The Vultures, The Battlecats, Diamond J and the Rough and countless others.


(Rudy's stage area. Photo by Caren Parmelee)

In addition to the influx of shows, Rudy's reputation as the dive bar of choice for both Townies and Yalies only strengthened. There were very few weekends when the bar/venue was not packed to the gills with every walk of New Haven life imaginable. There were regular pseudo-celebrity watches as well ('That's Janeane Garafalo!,' 'I think that guy you just played pool with is in Interpol'). And the frites, they were sublime.

Fast forward to 2010.

By this point show nights at Rudy's were cut down to Saturdays (and the rare Sunday) only. Many regulars had also by this point long accused owner Omer Ipek (who took over earlier in the decade) of pandering exclusively to Yale patrons. Gone were the old jukebox and at least some of the character that many of the older clientele revered. Flat screen TVs began popping out of every corner. The sound system was again in need of an upgrade. Some had begun to actively avoid the bar deeming it 'not the same as used to be,' only to be replaced by the newest generation of Rudy's dwellers who didn't care what it used to be. Others continued their usual Rudy's ritual undeterred.


(The Black Noise Scam will be appearing at Rudy's last show at its original location on July 31st.)

Still, no one imagined Rudy's ever going away. The frites were still good, the beer still cheap and the walls were still crowded with pictures of the bygone Rudy's faithful. Its existence at 372 Elm Street seemed as much a part of the New Haven landscape as East Rock or Pepe's Pizza. No matter what changes New Haven was undergoing, Rudy's was an oasis of continuity, music and beer (...established 1934!). That's why when this article in the New Haven Independent dropped on the morning of June 22nd, people were dumbstruck. Rudy's? Moving??? The backlash was immediate and severe. From the NH Independent comments section: 'I am pretty sure that this is the kind of sign that proves the world will end in 2012,' 'This is so horrifying,' 'I am devastated to hear this news,' and on and on. Immediately rumors began swirling that Yale was forcing Rudy's out or that owner Omer Ipek was only completing the latest chapter in an alleged diabolical scheme to ruin the bar. Truth be told, Ipek had secretly been battling with the landlord who owned the building for over a year. At one point Ipek even fought off an attempt by the landlord to close the bar with only days notice. After some quick thinking and dealings on Ipek's part, he was able to secure a new location for Rudy's close by at 1227 Chapel Street (just a couple blocks down Howe Street) while keeping the bar open at its current location until the end of July. And with a promise that the new location will have many of the elements of the old as well as a bigger and better area for bands, some of the detractors even began to change their tune.

In the end though, Rudy's move from Elm Street will surely be the end of an era for many of the generations who have come through its doors. Savor it while you can.

------------------------------------------------

Rudy's final show at its original Elm Street location will be occurring this Saturday, July 31st with locals The Black Noise Scam (full-on hardcore punk) and Nasty Disaster (metal heads galore) as well as the Boardlords (NYC punk). The Black Noise Scam recently joined the roster of Volatile Records (also home to the Boardlords) and will be releasing their next record sometime later this year. I can think of no better way to end the Rudy's long and illustrious run on Elm Street than a good ole' punk show.

p.s. And for those of you looking to take home a souvenir this Saturday, think again. Rudy's owner Omer Ipek has taken great care to strip the bar of almost everything short of the benches and bar stools in fear of thievery (he will be apparently transferring everything over to the new location this summer).

------------------------------------------------

Saturday July 31st

THE BLACK NOISE SCAM
NASTY DISASTER
THE BOARDLORDS

@ Rudy's
372 Elm Street / New Haven
9:30pm / 21+ / $3 cover
FINAL SHOW AT ORIGINAL LOCATION

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Show Review: Electric Six, Township, and Nor I @ Daniel Street 7.24.10

A healthy dose of irony can go a long way towards fun, a goal of music that tends to be obfuscated by its other, more lofty aims. Sometimes, when I press I play, believe it or not, I’m not really looking to lose myself in some transcendental soundvision that takes twenty minutes to get going. And it’s not always necessary for me to be brought to the edge of tears by the universal lyrics of a lionized songsmith. Sometimes, most of the time, I want to laugh and smile, and maybe sing along, to a fun tune that tries to invoke nothing more in the listener than just that.

That’s why I love the Electric Six. I recall the moment they rooted themselves into my brain. We were smoking cigarettes in an empty lot overlooking Lake Champlain, black water doubling the city lights on the horizon. ‘Jimmy Carter’ tested the limits of the car’s speakers (backstreet’s back all right), a song meant to be funny, but one equipped with sufficient cleverness to amount to more than just a laugh. I love Electric Six, I remember yelling over the maxed volume. Tonight, they were coming to Daniel Street.

Nor I opened. The song was ‘As Time Turns,’ fitting, I suppose, for their first show in five years. I don’t think I’ve ever heard an opening band receive such genuine and energetic applause.

By the time they played ‘From Here to There,’ they had established a fine, hardy groove. I wasn’t sure what to expect from them, but I liked what they brought. Highhats ticking away, bass carrying, rhythm rolling; I nodded along. An unexpected darkening during the breakdown built up a creeping tension that exploded into a short, triumphant reprieve of the dancey chorus.

Then, a galloping helping of rock and roll. Then, a song as much punk as pop. Then, a ballad of sorts, sustained by the soaring, precise singing of Joe Jules. The ballad built and blew up in the end like a good one should. Then, a simple bouncy number that a fifth of the audience (the fifth closest to the stage, of course) had no problem bouncing along to. I would be amiss not to point out Phil Conine’s funky bass that made the bouncing possible. Then, cheers normally reserved for headliners. I hope to see Nor I again, as soon as possible.

“Life starts tonight!” the grizzly front man yelled at the start of the next set.

Township, all long hair and unpretentious rock, wiggity-whammed right out of the gate. The place felt dingier while they played, in a good way. These gnarly dudes from Boston were bar-band to the core (wisping, knotty locks, blown out sideburns and itchy beards; leather). They did not disappoint.

“I want to feel/feel it with you tonight.”

I was singing along though I’d never heard the song before, a good sign. Simple lines can be golden; they’re inclusive, which is a fine way to describe Township as a whole. They were a cover band (ZZ Top, Zeppelin, ACDC, Aerosmith, Motorhead, Black Sabbath, Audioslave, Atomic Bitchwax), except they played original music, and were awesome, to put it plainly.

They sang lofty, metal lyrics, coarse and on key; they beat out beefy arterial bass lines; ground 9 gauge strings into memorable riffs; and hammered it home with primal, hard rock drumming. They were so metal, in fact, they looked like cavemen. A member of the audience was, at one point, coerced into a set of pushups, which he was all too eager to provide for the cause of testosterone. The lead singer, Alex “Side Salad” Necochea knew how to have fun with a crowd.

As soon as I thought I had them pegged, they played ‘Eye,’ a shred heavy epic that I will surely play the next time I’m beating the shit out of dragons with a lightsaber. The final song of their set, ‘Burnin’, was a comfortable jam that summed up their sound and energy into an easily digestible, memorable goodbye. A meandering whammy bar interlude culminated in a high-metal, wig-out two man solo. Wicked.

And somehow I managed to miss the start of Electric Six. Dancing was underway. Electric fever.

“This is a song of public and political activism,” said Dick Valentine, wise man and lead singer of the band, in preface to ‘Future Boys,’ a high hat orgasm and favorite of mine. The crowd did not resist the call to move. It was a small crowd, but I won’t hold that against them.

‘The Future is in the Future’ made me want to karaoke all night long and Macarena till the break of dawn. Mr. Dick Valentine took the liberty of a 3 minute breakdown during this song to riff on Stonebridge, the packed bar across the street. He lamented his inability to love any number of “49 year old women” that doubtlessly awaited his company at the bar. He made it clear where he’d rather be, if not for his “contractual obligation” to entertain the pesky fans that undulated and cheered before him. We stood in his way and were happy for his comedy, which ran throughout the night and through all of their music.

A track off their new album replaced funkydisco with discometal, inciting a mosh pit among the boys who were hand pumping and hip humping (totally in jest though, totally) moments before. Gay Bar brought the pit full-term; it was the first gender neutral mosh pit I’ve encountered.

And then, to prove to me that the night was completely awesome, a beautiful woman emerged from the ruckus of the audience and approached Dan and I, who were tapping our feet along the margin of the crowd. Maybe we looked like we needed to loosen up (I was scrawling madly into a notebook). Maybe we were the first two people she saw. Either way, she gave us a pair of mostly full beers. The plastic cups were slicked by a recent spill; I assume she decided dancing and drinking was not going to happen at the same time. I drank both, and I want to take this opportunity to thank the nameless woman. This is how I had always pictured an E6 show should go.

“Electric Six is a motivational seminar. We have the headsets. We have the bagels. Randy’s hot tonight!”

Among the crowd, through my beer colored glasses, I’d never seen a happier group of dancers. Pockets of bald spots and big girls twisted like 1962. Sleeveless crew cuts, emblazoned baseball caps, branded T-shirts and pristine cabby hats cheered and jumped along unselfconsciously.

Fists pumping, crowd pulsing, Valentine donned a visor and told the crowd to applaud themselves. He informed us that the next song was written in 2005, which, for whatever reason, was cause for celebration. We obliged, laughing, cheering, eating from the palm of his hand. I count myself lucky to have seen these guys in a club half filled by people who really wanted to be there. As soon as I scrawled this thought into my little green pad, I decided to stick it in my pocket and forget about it. I’m not going to bother with the names of any more songs or trite observations. I’m just going to say that, no sooner was that notebook in my pocket, I threw myself into the middle of the crowd and danced like I was drunk at a wedding. I love Electric Six.


Friday, July 23, 2010

Get Haunted's Vol. 1


Get Haunted's Volume 1 is a musical anthology of horror stories that loves long shadows and letting our more twisted sides get some needed exercise. Each of the eight songs come with a lyric card that has a different illustration which summarizes the story being told. The images remind me of a cross between Stephen Gammell and the simple Fred Banbery illustrations that were in those old Alfred Hitchcock books such as Ghostly Gallery. I don't think it's a coincidence that the illustrations are making me think of books that are aimed at young readers, either. I think, in a way, the songs are aimed at the kid in us that used to worry that whatever was under our beds was going to feast on our guts. Think about it. What was under the bed as we got older? Dirty laundry, porn mags, a bag of weed, the box your sister kept the sharp shit in that she used to cut herself with? And then you get even older and what is it, that folded up Bowflex you never use? Lame. I'll take an imaginary gut eater over that crap any day.

I like the name Get Haunted. Compare it to being told to get undressed - easily understood because we know what a state of undress is. But a person can become haunted by just about anything. The thing is that Joey and Sarah Macrino deliver their plunking and pounding with a conviction that says they know precisely what best to get haunted by. And I am pretty sure that it is more by what can be sensed than by what can be seen. Escaping the slowly blooming insanity within some small backward American town is very different from being chased by a monster, let's just say.

Then again, Cedar Grove starts out with a bag-headed slasher looking through the woods for Joey. There's Frankenstein too, with that most famous of monsters breaking its chains by the tune's end, leaving Dr. Franky to realize that his experiment was actually a real bad idea. But both songs are actually about staying the hell away from places and things that we have no business messing with. To get haunted is about developing enough sense to take those no trespassing signs dead serious.

Still, the thrill of doing things you know you shouldn't never gets old. Get Haunted is the barn-punk that kids of The Handsome Family would play. All the energy and enthusiasm is there, along with the key attitude of turning shaky proficiency on an instrument into an inventive sound. They sing about old dark houses, inner beasts, and exorcism, but make it fun. Anyone that pretends these themes are just too icky for them forgets that there is a reason why the very real Ed Gein, who was once most happy when wearing a full bodysuit of someone else's skin, is a pop culture perennial to this very day. It's the same reason all you rubberneckers cause traffic jams. The difference is that Get Haunted are drawing from the same traditions that tales such as those by the Brothers Grimm and the American folklore from generations past were rooted in. These are cautionary tales, which is, in my opinion, the right kind of horror to get haunted by.

You can download tracks from Get Haunted's Bandcamp, including their most recent release From the Basement.

And hey you two, congratulations on the birth of Elvis Jude!

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Little Update


CT Indie is that kid in the bed at the moment. We'll be on our feet very soon, though.

Monday, July 19, 2010

Show Review: Casiotone for the Painfully Alone, Arms and Legs, Lion Cub @ Lilly's Pad

     Considering that Wednesday’s show was part of Owen Ashworth’s last lap under the name Casiotone for the Painfully Alone, anticipation for an exceptional performance was fair, though bittersweet. Here he was, performing solo in a humble and intimate setting which was also the last time many will see him perform. This tour was constructed in preparation for his notable Chicago show at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, which he made a point to mention made this show “practice”—not that it made any difference to those in attendance. No, for Ashworth, the crowd would do a special favor at the end of the show and move to the front from behind their glass partition at the bar.

For Lion Cub and Arms and Legs, the square that marked the dance floor seemed to repel the crowd as if there was an unannounced game of the floor is lava.

    The expression on Chelsea Hahn’s face was still one of continual pleasance, something close to an ‘I’m just happy to be here’ look. Though they currently live in Massachusetts, Hahn and Chad Jewett have deep roots in New Haven, which also housed the creative process for their upcoming debut full-length, Seneca. Between Hahn’s hand-carved stamps for their merchandise and the distinctly folksy content of their songs, they present all the style and aesthetic of lo-fi electronica while rooted in something much more wholesome.

The room’s new color lights whirred around the floor in time with the beat, moving so fast at times that the motion blur mimicked gnats dancing in front of a light. Hahn’s spine was straight, ankles crossed, firing out drum beats on the Nord in front of her while Jewett wailed into the microphone on her left. His guitar was about two sizes too loud for the room, adding abrasiveness to the otherwise pleasance of the two during songs like ‘American Buffalo’ and ‘The Bird on Your Sill.’

    Nights like these, Lilly’s Pad seems more like an exclusive loft rather than what it is—an after hours dance floor turned venue. In between acts, most of the crowd would plop into a chair at one of the tables for two along the wall or brazenly socialize behind the bar’s glass partition. The few under 21 mostly loitered awkwardly, but were the ones who braved the invisible frontlines for Arms and Legs’ set.

    Arms and Legs have an air of wizened musicianship about them, which could be owed to their time in Beijing playing to thousands via festivals put on by their label Modern Sky Records. Scott Daly moved with positively manic energy which appeared to be gunning through his vocal chords. His voice contradicted his fever and emerged unharmed in Thom Yorke-like croons. He seemed to permeate octaves, leaving a lonely tone to float hauntingly within the darkened room. Each instrument in the mix left the same lingering effect in their wake. At times, the double drums shook your ribs more than the bass throbbed with your pulse. Everyone in the band pulsed trance-like with their parts, making it feel like more of an awakening when a song closed and Daly laughed nervously, saying “Alright, then” or “Whaddaya say, gang?” At one point he excused his banter by saying he’s been listening to too much Jim Morrison lately.

    Powerful and authentic, Arms and Legs were certainly the best set of the night. The cycles of applause swelled with more excitement at the close of each song. Yet on top of the powerhouse of instrumentation already in place, every now and then one drummer would turn to an open laptop at his right and play a track to sync into a song. It was the only artificial source of sound in the set, and in that bound all three acts of the night by this common denominator. These were mostly filled out by keys and looped vocals, which could have been manually orchestrated by Daly as he had equipment to do both on either side of him. Then again, he was so possessed by song at times it was like an exorcism taking place above York Street for all passerbies to see. Like Daly has tattooed on his forearm: “Never afraid, never ashamed.”

    The reception for Ashworth was like a dinner par- actually, more like the last scene of Titanic. Warm, familiar, with an undertone of excitement for his future endeavors. Also, Leo was at the top of the staircase.

    In any case, Ashworth was not among strangers, a crowd he’s earned after 13 years of musicianship. Requests were called out, sneakers fidgeted in clear excitement as the notes to a familiar song began to play (most of which were off 2006’s Etiquette). And at the relentless request of ‘Love Connection,’ Ashworth waved up two eager devotees (notorious and wanted CT Indie contributors John Packer and Megan Manowitz) to awkwardly hammer out the lines to the song over the glow of Packer’s phone which displayed the lyrics to the song just in case. They wanted to hear the song so much, they were even willing to sing the line ‘a delicate blend of sweat and menstrual blood.’ Menstrual blood! Oh god, the fandom!

    It’s clear that none of this has reached Ashworth’s head in any negative way. He stood above his motherboard of equipment and microphone, never behaving with any visible gusto though with a subtle precision. Still, he’s probably humbler than the next indie legend. “I feel weird about playing this song because the Sun Kil Moon version was better,” he joked with a dryness stirring up laughter as he went into ‘Natural Light.’ He spoke about his trip to Las Vegas in an especially endearing way, how he visited the Liberace Museum and made sure to capture himself in the shots with mirrors behind immortalized outfits from the musical icon; how he ate lobster not one, but two times. With overtly mortal stories like these, it’s funny to remember that Ashworth is just as goofy as any of us, no matter the lack of underground sensationalism in our lives.

    However human, someone still graciously provided him with a bar napkin for his sweat.

    Some people prefer what they can expect. A good bar, a modestly-stacked bill (three acts—not too many, not too little) and a decent crowd. This is part-in-parcel for both Manic Productions and Casiotone for the Painfully alone, actually—both known for their consistency in production and backing tracks (well, only one of them is known for the latter. Give you one guess.)

    But for all the things you try to anticipate, there are just as many outliers. These tend to define the bands, performances and shows beyond the impression you get from a packaged record. It’s part of why you make the effort to go to these shows, whether they are a debut or final performance.






(Photos: Luke Dringoli)

Here are some more photos from the night taken by Simon Remiszewski:

 

Interpol, Kurt Vile, Modest Mouse, Flaming Lips - in One Day

Saturday, July 24, 2010:

This will be a tricky day. You have the Interpol show at Toad's, with the late Kurt Vile Lilly's Pad show happening upstairs. You can definitely catch at least some of Real Estate and all of Kurt Vile if you head straight up there after Interpol. Meanwhile, Modest Mouse is playing at the Oakdale, but the Flaming Lips are playing up in Holyoke at Mountain Park. Anyhow, you have plenty of time between now and July 24th to figure out what you're going to do.


Location:
Toad's Place
300 York Street
New Haven, CT

All Ages - Doors 8:00/Music 9:00 - $30.00 Advance/Day of

Order tickets now

Tickets (w/the exception of etix.com printouts) for the 7/21 date will be honored

No, Interpol's Toad's show is not canceled. Interpol are getting their tour (opening for U2) moving again, which was discombobulated after Bono had to have emergency back surgery. They will again open for U2 come mid-September. In the meantime, Interpol continues as headliner, with Twin Tigers opening, starting here in New Haven at Toad's on July 24. September will also mark the release of Interpol's newest record, which will oddly be self-titled. More interesting is that their bassist Carlos Dengler left the band and was replaced by David Pajo, formerly of the legendary Slint. He's more of a guitarist than a bassist and he's definitely been around the block, having played for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs as a touring multi-instrumentalist, as well as played for Tortoise, Stereolab, and a whole slew of other bands.

Twin Tigers are yet another solid Anthens, GA band. Joel Hatstat of Pegasuses-XL, a sort of elecro-dance-punk project, helped record Curious Faces/Violet Future, Twin Tigers' self-released debut EP. They blend tiny and big with soft and psycho, and keep their poppiness on the darker end of the spectrum.











Interpol current tour:

07-24 New Haven, CT – Toad's Place !
07-25 Baltimore, MD – Ram's Head Live !
07-29 Richmond, VA – The National !
07-30 Norfolk, VA – The NorVA !
07-31 Atlantic City, NJ – House of Blues !
08-04 Montclair, NJ – Wellmont Theatre !
08-05 Boston, MA – House of Blues !
08-06 Clifton Park, NY – Northern Lights !
08-09 Montreal, Quebec – Metropolis !
08-10 Toronto, Ontario – Kool Haus !
08-11 Pontiac, MI – Clutch Cargo !
08-13 Milwaukee, WI – The Rave !
08-14 Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue !
08-15 Chicago, IL – Vic Theatre !
08-18 Charleston, SC – The Music Farm !
08-19 Lake Buena Vista FL – House of Blues !
08-21 Miami Beach, FL - The Fillmore !
09-16 Caen, France - Le Cargo
09-18 Paris, France - Stade De France *
09-21 Lille, France - Aeronef
09-22-23 Brussels, Belgium - Stade Roi Boudoin *
09-25 Bordeaux, France - Le Vigean
09-26 San Sebastian, Spain - Anoeta Stadium *
09-28 Grenada, Spain - La Industrial Copera
09-29 Seville, Spain - Olympic Stadium *
10-01 Santiago, Spain - Santiago De Compostela
10-02-03 Coimbra, Portugal - Estadio Cidade Coimbra *
10-05 Bilbao, Spain - Teatro Campos Eliseos
10-06 Toulouse, France - Li Bikini
10-08 Rome, Italy - Olympic Stadium *
10-08 Rome, Italy - Olympic Stadium *
10-29-31 New Orleans, LA - Voodoo Experience
11-12 Lisbon, Portugal - Campo Pequeño
11-13 Madrid, Spain - Palacio Vistalegre
11-14 Barcelona, Spain - San Jordi Club
11-16 Marseille, France - Dock Du Sud
11-17 Milan, Italy - Palasharp
11-18 Vienna, Austria - Gasometer
11-20 Berlin, Germany - Tempodrom
11-21 Amsterdam, Netherlands - Heineken Music Hall
11-22 Dortmund, Germany - Westfalenhalle 2
11-24 Nottingham, England - Rock City
11-25 Newcastle, England - O2 Academy
11-26 Birmingham, England - O2 Academy
11-27 Edinburgh, Scotland - Corn Exchange
11-29-12-01 Dublin, Ireland - Olympia
12-03 Manchester, England - Apollo
12-04 Liverpool, England - Liverpool University
12-06-07 London, England - O2 Academy Brixton

! with Twin Tigers
* with U2



Saturday, July 24 - Manic Productions presents a LATE unofficial after-party Co-Headline Show:


Location:
Lilly's Pad (Toad's Place Upstairs)
300 York Street Street
New Haven CT

$12 - 10:00PM - All Ages (21+ to drink)

Directions

Buy tickets now or pick them up at Redscroll Records

Facebook event page

Kurt Vile (previously of The War on Drugs) is a guitarist and singer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that makes fucked up, delayed, hazy, psychedelic, “bedroom” pop music in which you might recognize early Tyrannosaurus Rex, Devendra Banhart, and Ariel Pink like sounds. He plays both solo shows as well as shows with a backing band called The Violators. He just released a new EP called Square Shells.



This is Kurt Vile and Sore Eros!

Real Estate waft in on vibes of hazy summers past. The New Jersey quartet of Martin Courtney IV, Matthew Mondanile III, Etienne Pierre Duguay and Alex Bleeker cut the sleeves short and the pop smooth to shade you from the midday heat. Every song works its way to that part of your consciousness that reveled in the fleeting waves of freedom that eked in once classes broke and the sun lingered a little longer over suburban roofs. And with three quarters of the band holding down Garden State roots its no surprise that a bit of Jersey indie-pop heritage sneaks its way into their sound, lifting the most sun streaked moments from The Feelies and Yo La Tengo and filtering them through the kaleidoscope of memories aimless drives through parched neighborhood streets. Mexican Summer/Woodsist



Sore Eros' Robert Robinson used to be a member of Kurt Vile's band. I was told he's from Enfield, CT but is now based with our favorite northern neighbor Northampton, MA. He reminds me of the Supreme Dicks, which used to be based in Northampton, but that was ages ago.
"Robinson's vocals have [a] high, lunar quality...but the way they're recorded often makes them seem as if they're being broadcast from the apartment next door, dislocated by time and space and smeared with heroic levels of FX. The song structures reference classic psych forms - most specifically the freakbeat sound of early Pink Floyd and the roaming bass/drums style of The Red Krayola's first LP - while at the same time avoiding anything that might make them sound like period-piece revivalists. As the album progresses, the form becomes looser and more abstract, with outer structures falling away to reveal sidereal aspects more commonly experienced in altered states or subliminal settings: the sound of a car stereo tracking down the street; late-night pop radio in the trance before sleep. Sore Eros redeem 80s pop modes by conflating them with 'canonical' teenage forms, re-configuring psychedelic pop via refracted autobiography. The result is one of the most original psych/pop records of the year." - WIRE Magazine, May 2009




Kurt Vile tour dates:

Jul-09 New York, NY Le Poisson Rouge w/ Real Estate
Jul-10 Hoboken, NJ Maxwell’s w/ Real Estate
Jul-11 Philadelphia, PA Johnny Brenda’s w/ Real Estate
Jul-12 Baltimore, MD Ottobar w/ Real Estate
Jul-13 Pittsburgh, PA Garfield Artworks w/ Real Estate
Jul-14 Cleveland, OH Beachland Tavern w/ Real Estate
Jul-15 Bloomington, IN The Bishop w/ Real Estate
Jul-17 Chicago, IL Pitchfork Music Festival
Jul-19 Detroit, MI Magic Stick w/ Real Estate
Jul-20 Toronto, ON The Great Hall w/ Real Estate
Jul-21 Ottawa, ON Babylon w/ Real Estate
Jul-22 Montreal, QC Il Motore w/ Real Estate
Jul-23 Boston, MA Harpers Ferry w/ Real Estate
Jul-24 New Haven, CT Lilly Pad w/ Real Estate
Aug-10 Charlottesville, VA Jefferson Theatre w/ Deerhunter
Aug-13 Boston, MA Royale Nightclub w/ Deerhunter
Aug14 Northampton, MA Pearl Street w/ Deerhunter



Saturday, July 24, 2010 - Modest Mouse at the Oakdale:


Location:
Toyota Presents the Oakdale Theatre
95 South Turnpike Rd
Wallingford, CT

Doors 7:30. General Admission only. Tickets $35.


I hear this is Modest Mouse's first time playing here in Connecticut. They have been around for a long time now, and are known for being one of those unlikely bands that broke into the mainstream. Johnny Marr is out now, not sure if Grandaddy guitarist Jim Fairchild is still in. The Moon & Antarctica got a recent vinyl reissue, which you should go buy from Redscroll Records. Isaac Brock's Glacial Pace Recordings is now completely controlled by Brock, allowing him to help up-and-coming bands, such as the opener for this show, Morning Teleportation.



Morning Teleportation is a five-piece psychedelic band based out of Portland, Oregon. They create a high-energy, tripped-out dance-off and sing-along using energetic instrumentation that includes banjo, talkbox, synthesizer, trumpet, and theremin. Their debut album was produced by Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse and is soon to be released on his Glacial Pace Recordings.



Their tour dates:

Jul 1 Royal Oak Music Theater + special guest: Avi Buffalo Royal Oak, MI
Jul 2 Royal Oak Theater + special guest: Avi Buffalo (SOLD OUT) Royal Oak, MI
Jul 3 Summerfest 2010 + special guest: Avi Buffalo Milwaukee, WI, US
Jul 4 80/35 Festival Des Moines, IA, US
Jul 6 Crossroads KC @ Grinders + special guest: Avi Buffalo Kansas City, MO
Jul 8 Twilight Concert Series + special guest: Avi Buffalo Salt Lake City, UT
Jul 9 Paolo Soleri Amphitheatre + special guest: Radar Brothers Santa Fe, MN
Jul 10 1STBANK Center + special guest: Radar Brothers Broomfield, CO
Jul 12 Ramkota Exhibit Hall + special guest: Radar Brothers Sioux Falls, SD
Jul 13 Hub at the Venue + special guest: Radar Brothers Fargo, ND
Jul 14 The Orpheum Theatre + special guest: Radar Brothers Minneapolis, MN
Jul 16 Pitchfork Music Festival Chicago, IL
Jul 17 The Pageant + special guest: Morning Teleportation(SOLD OUT) St. Louis, MO
Jul 18 The Valarium + special guest: Morning Teleportation (SOLD OUT) Knoxville, TN
Jul 19 Orange Peel + special guest: Morning Teleportation (SOLD OUT) Asheville, NC, US
Jul 20 Music Farm + special guest: Morning Teleportation (SOLD OUT) Charleston, SC
Jul 22 Wellmont Theater + special guest: Morning Teleportation (SOLD OUT) Montclair, NJ
Jul 23 Williamsburg Waterfront + special guest: Morning Teleportation Brooklyn, NY, US
Jul 24 The Dome at Oakdale + special guest: Morning Teleportation Wallingford, CT
Jul 25 House of Blues + special guest: Morning Teleportation (SOLD OUT) Boston, MA
Jul 26 House of Blue + special guest: Morning Teleportation Boston, MA
Aug 27 Leeds Festival Leeds, UK
Aug 28 Reading Festival Reading, UK
Aug 29 Edge Festival @ HMV Picture House Edinburgh, UNITED KINGDOM
Aug 31 O2 Academy Newcastle, UK
Sep 1 O2 Academy Liverpool, UK
Sep 2 Arena Parco Nord Bologna, ITALY
Sep 3 Electric Picnic Art and Music Festival Stradbally Hall, Stradbally, County Laois
Sep 5 Into The Great Wide Open Festival Vlieland, NETHERLANDS
Sep 7 Melkweg Amsterdam, NETHERLANDS
Sep 8 Troxy London, UNITED KINGDOM
Sep 9 Open House Festival Belfast, UNITED KINGDOM
Sep 10 End of the Road Festival Dorset, UNITED KINGDOM

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Procedure Club's Rather has Video


Rather is off Procedure Club's latest Doomed Forever



Also, download their song Vermont

Tour:
07/31 - Boston, MA - Temple !
08/04 - Brooklyn, NY - Silent Barn +
08/26 - Montreal, QC - Casa del Popolo %
08/28 - Toronto, OR - Parts and Labour
08/30 - Detroit, MI - The Burton
09/06 - Seattle, WA - Comet Tavern ?
09/07 - Portland, OR - East End
09/10 - San Francisco, CA - The Hemlock &
09/12 - Los Angeles, CA - The Echo (Part-Time Punks)
09/13 - Phoenix, AZ - Sound Kontrol

+= w/ Birds Names
% = w/ The Pink Noise & the O-Voids
& = w/ La Corde
? = w/ Burning Yellows and TBA

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Lesser Knowns, Lights On, New Mexico

Thursday, July 15, 2010:

Lights On


Location:
Cousin Larry's
1 Elm Street
Danbury, CT

9PM - 21+ - Cover??

Lesser Knowns return after playing with Burning Hotels and Son Cats. Lets see... I said at that time that they're pretty straight forward garage-based indie rock with some Fall-ish-ness going on.

San Diego's Lights On was initially a collaborative creation between Tim Hines and Mike Kamoo of Earthling Studios, but has grown to become one of Southern California's most promising new bands. In 2009 LIGHTS ON accomplished international exposure from music blogs championing their music, in turn earning them "Best of..." nominations from San Diego Music Awards for their debut 5 song E.P. "Waiting For The Heart To Beat". LIGHTS ON quickly found their songs being requested and used in film and TV shows such as HBO's "Hung", FOX Family's "Greek" SHOWTIME's "United States Of Tara", CW's "The Vampire Diaries" and "Gossip Girl."

"Here Comes The Ocean" is LIGHTS ON’s debut album, recorded over various sessions between 2007 and 2009. Inspiration of past and present fuels “Here Comes The Ocean” with sounds reminiscent of Johnny Marr's 12-String, a splash of raw garage-rock, hints of Farfisa organ, mood altering vintage synths, fuzzed out bass hooks, and swooning vocal melodies with powerful harmonies. (Incidentally, their bass player grew up here in Connecticut).

Formerly known as the Apes of Wrath, New Mexico are also out of the San Diego scene. They have a bit of Franz Ferdinand, Gang of Four, and Devo to their sound.

Mammoth Grinder Tears It Up Old School Style

Friday, July 16 2010, Manic Productions presents


Location:
Lilly's Pad (Toad's Place Upstairs)
300 York Street Street
New Haven CT

$8 - 7:00PM - All Ages (21+ to drink)

Directions

Buy tickets now or pick them up at Redscroll Records

The more things change, the more they stay the same. While that may be an overused cliche, there is a kernal of truth to this statement, especially when it comes to extreme music. Right now there is a whole slew of bands chucking the trappings of modernity for the rawer sounds of the past, trying and and with various degrees of success, in capturing a spirit and feeling that is missing in this day of overproduction and overplaying.

Austin, Texas' Mammoth Grinder, who are comprised of Chris Ulsh on guitar and vocals, Brian Boeckman on drums, and Chris Camp on bass, are one such band. They play vicious punk-influenced death metal that harkend back to the genre's bloody roots back in Sweden. But they aren't a mere retro act, as they incorporate elements of sludge and thrash into their sound. But it's all raw and noisy and played with a manic urgency that borders on refreshing.
Their Relapse debut, "Extinction Of Humanity" is only 21 minutes long, but in that time they manage to fit all their influences into one brutal whole. It's a perfect introduction to their filthy and vicious sounding music. They get in, fuck stuff up and then get out, leaving you wanting more.

This should translate well to the stage when they play Lily's Pad at Toad's Place in New Haven on July 16. If you want a taste of what is going on in the underground, or just want something you can go crazy to, they should definitely fit the bill.

Check out scenes from Jodorowsky's Holy Mountain set to Mammoth Grinder:


Opening:

Homestretch is a hardcore band from Miami, Florida. For fans of 108, Ink and Dagger, Ringworm, and Converge. Cassette out now on Drugged Conscience.

Brass Caskets:
CT Hardcore featuring members of Phantoms, Cold Snap, & Crowns of Kings.

Glue Machine:
New Haven punk. members of Dead Uncles, Estrogen Highs, Iron Hand.

Ferocious Fucking Teeth:
CT stoner rock. members of Total Bolshevics, Brava Spectre & A Trillion Gallons of Gas.

Electric Six, Township, Nor I

Saturday, July 17 2010, Manic Productions presents


Location:
Daniel Street
21 Daniel Street
Milford CT

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

Directions

Buy tickets now or pick them up at Redscroll Records

Electric Six fuses rock and punk with the laid-back funky rhythms and falsetto vocals of disco, and a distinctly comic touch. However, they tend to reject such genre classifications as disco-metal and disco punk. They formed the band in 1996 and were initially known as The Wildbunch, eventually dropping that name due to pressure from the Bristol trip-hop collection of the same name. Throughout the latter half of the ’90s, they played about once a month at the Magic Bag in Ferndale, Magic Stick, and the now-defunct Gold Dollar in Detroit, the center of a scene that produced breakout acts like The White Stripes. Metropolis Records

"Township’s awe-inspiring rock histrionics are very present and the hits literally keep coming...Coming Home is a round-trip ending with a perfect nine-minutes-and-change finale that ends somewhere on the dark side of the moon. But by then, you’ll just want to start over again." - Northeast Performer

Nor I:
Milford experimental rock featuring Phil Conine of Daniel Street! First show back.



Electric Six tour:

Wed 07/14 Hoboken NJ Maxwell's
Thu 07/15 New York NY Rocks Off - the Jewel
Fri 07/16 Boston MA Rock On - Mass Bay Lines
Sat 07/17 Milford CT Daniel Street
Sun 07/18 Asbury Park NJ Asbury Lanes
Sat 08/14 San Francisco CA Outside Lands
Wed 09/15 Grand Rapids MI The Intersection
Thu 09/16 Columbus OH The Basement
Fri 09/17 Chicago IL Double Door
Sat 09/18 Ferndale MI DIY Street Fair
Sun 09/19 Toledo OH Frankie's
Tue 09/21 Pittsburgh PA Brillobox
Wed 09/22 Philadelphia PA Johnny Brenda's
Sat 09/25 New York NY Bowery Ballroom
Mon 09/27 Baltimore MD Sonar
Tue 09/28 Washington DC Black Cat
Wed 09/29 Carrboro NC Cat's Cradle
Thu 09/30 Charlotte NC Milestone Club
Fri 10/01 Columbia SC New Brookland Tavern
Sat 10/02 E. Atlanta GA The Earl
Mon 10/04 Jacksonville FL Jack Rabbit's
Tue 10/05 Ft.Lauderdale FL Culture Room
Wed 10/06 St. Petersburg FL State Theater
Thu 10/07 Orlando FL The Social
Sat 10/09 Nashville TN Exit / In
Sun 10/10 Memphis TN Hi Tone Cafe
Tue 10/12 Norman OK Opolis
Wed 10/13 Houston TX Walter's on Washington
Thu 10/14 San Antonio TX White Rabbit
Fri 10/15 Austin TX Emo's
Sat 10/16 Denton TX The Boiler Room
Mon 10/18 Tucson AZ Plush
Tue 10/19 Phoenix AZ Rhythm Room
Wed 10/20 San Diego CA The Casbah
Thu 10/21 Costa Mesa CA The Detroit Bar
Fri 10/22 Los Angeles CA Key Club
Mon 10/25 Seattle WA Neumo's
Tue 10/26 Portland OR Dante's
Wed 10/27 Boise ID Neurolux
Thu 10/28 Salt Lake City UT Urban Lounge
Fri 10/29 Denver CO Larimer Lounge
Sat 10/30 Kansas City MO Riot Room
Sun 10/31 St. Louis MO The Firebird
Tue 11/02 Des Moines IA Vaudeville Mews
Wed 11/03 Minneapolis MN First Avenue
Thu 11/04 Milwaukee WI Turner Hall
Fri 11/05 Covington KY The Mad Hatter
Sat 11/06 Cleveland OH Grog Shop