Wednesday, December 21, 2011

THE GURU RETURN TO WOODBURY DECEMBER 30!



Remember the summer? Recall a little band by the name of The Guru? I'm sure you do as they were blowing up all over the state. Not to mention their album Native Sun was so good we covered it TWICE! Well now they are back home from college for a few weeks and are playing an ENORMOUS show in Woodbury on December 30th.


The lineup is extensive and the cost is only $5 so there is really no excuse anyone can make for not attending. From the look of the Facebook Event, it looks like well over 200 people are already going.


Looks like the secret is out!


So here is the lineup with tentative set start times:

White Savages - 6:45pm

white savages - the fucking documentary trailer from Kyle Rodgers on Vimeo.



Madson - 7:20pm

The Hiya Dunes - 8:00pm

High Pop - 8:40pm



Lovers and Thieves - 9:20pm



The Guru - 10:00pm



The new owner of Woodbury Music Shop will also be there doing raffles and giving away free things!


December 30, 2011 at
Old Town Hall
5 Mountain Rd, Woodbury

Facebook Event Page


The Guru - Barracuda Hands by CTINDIE

Monday, December 19, 2011

Review: Profesa' Dibbs



Hip hop, as a genre, it seems, has done nothing of late but slowly and deliberately collapse under the dead weight of its own provocative and iterative tendencies. Ten years ago, it was new and threatening. Today, it is comical at best, but more often than not, sadly pathetic. What was once a sharpened edge of wit and social commentary is now nothing more than an open forum for the arrogant and the foolish. Case in point: whereas Snoop Dogg once rapped about what it's like to be a gangsta, Jay-Z now raps about what it is like to be a corporate officer, and whereas A Tribe Called Quest once rapped about the struggles inherent to urban black youth, Lil’ Jon now raps about his testicles.

Let’s be realistic. How many times can we hear the same recycled beat and still be excited to hear it? How many times can we hear a man speak passionately and enthusiastically about his generative organs, and the novel ways in which he seeks to employ them upon the opposite sex, and still be shocked? Did we really expect this train to ride on forever?

Sadly enough, it seems like it will. Despite being utter crap, moronic anthems to wanton greed and puerility are still topping the charts. This success, however, runs in much the same vein as the Call of Duty series of video games. It sells more and more copies with each successive – and infinitely less-inspired – sequel because there just isn’t anything else on the market.

Or is there?

Hip hop is a young genre, in the grand scheme of things. It didn’t achieve mainstream popularity until the late eighties and early nineties. Coincidentally, it was right around this time rock music had hit a similar level of stagnation, and those of us with more “refined” tastes were looking towards the emerging genre of alternative rock to save us from the hair-spray chugging metalhead morons who were ruining rock music and destroying the ozone layer at the same time.

Hip hop, I would argue, is at about this point, and I should hope the masked horsemen of underground hip hop should be riding in at any moment to save the day.

Well, maybe not. But there is always Profesa’ Dibbs…

He doesn’t have a ton of money. He doesn’t drive a fancy car. He doesn’t skeet, skeet, skeet. He doesn’t “oooooookay!” or “yeah!”. He doesn’t rap about his label – because he doesn’t have a label. Neither does he have an album, or an EP, or even a single. What he does have, however, is a collection of songs, completely free, for your enjoyment. They can be found here.

Because Profesa’ Dibbs doesn’t charge money for his music, and because I base my reviews largely on the premise music consumption is an expensive pastime, it would be hard for me not to recommend giving Dibbs a listen. In fact, in the absence of cost as a mitigating factor, I cannot think of a single reason why people shouldn’t. What harm could it do?

However, if you require more convincing, please read on.

Profesa’ Dibbs is much like any other underground/old school hip hop act. Grainy, dry beats drive the songs, which are augmented by sampling which, in the scope of the genre, is fairly sparse. What sets Dibbs apart from his peers, however, is copious helpings of (presumably) Dibbs’ own piano and guitar playing. They certainly don’t sound like samples ripped from old James Brown tunes. This is not to say, however, that Profesa’ Dibbs is just another pompous, destined-to-fail crossover act. The instrumentation is deployed in a very hip hop way, so much, in fact, the bluesy guitar bends and jazzy Rhodes chords almost sound sampled.
Dibbs’ lyrical styling is iterative of the underground movement. No bitches or hos here. No crunk or grinding, or booty-shaking permitted. This is adult swim, and the lyrical pool is noticeably uncontaminated with the obstreperous splashing and hawing of puerile children. Dibbs raps about life, about politics, about the metaphysical. While this may seem novel to those accustomed to Lil Wayne’s particular brand of vodka, it will seem wholly unoriginal to those who have already committed themselves to underground rap. His are the words of the rapper/poets, like Saul Williams or Sage Francis, and his words have been spoken, and recorded, before. Still, Profesa’ Dibbs is probably one of the region’s better hip hop acts, especially so when one considers all the Top 40 imitators who plague Hartford like a bad case of the clap.

So, if you’re looking for break from the self-indulgent self-immolation of modern mainstream hip hop – or if you’re just looking for a decent local act – Profesa’ Dibbs is well worth your time, especially when you consider it won’t cost you anything. If you’re an underground veteran, Dibbs won’t offer much in the way of new material or techniques, but he’s a good listen, nonetheless.

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Joe To The World (And ALLIE!)



Imagine my surprise when I get a message from Joe of 2 Ton Bug that he and bandmate Allie have put together a Holiday Themed side project! This is funny/odd because I am in the process of reviewing the 2 Ton Bug LP (which is amazing!). So Joe links me to a bandcamp for "Joe To The World (And ALLIE!) with their first eponymous collection of songs. 8 "Snow-Fi" Yuletide Favorites from the FUTURE!!!
I love it so much and you will too. Definitely some strange home recorded stuff with bundle of seasonal cheer (for those of you into that!)

GO BUY IT HERE! You can name your own price and the proceeds go to the Connecticut Cat Connection!

Joe To the World (And ALLIE!) - This Christmas Season by CTINDIE

Dumpster Diving with Mr. Dream


Interview and article by Ryan Sartor

On Friday, November 18th, I saw Mr. Dream perform at the small Milford, CT music venue of Daniel Street. Before they took the stage, I was only aware of Mr. Dream as “those three Pitchfork writers who became musicians.” Such a description fails to do the band justice, especially since bass player Matt Morello has never written for Pitchfork. When Mr. Dream pulled into town, they had no idea that this gig would take place at a soon to be shuttered venue (and neither did the audience). Alas, it was announced two weeks ago that Daniel Street is being sold on January 3rd, 2012 to a buyer who plans to transform the space into a pizza parlor/hip-hop club. As far as funerals go, Mr. Dream band members Adam Moerder, Matt Morello, and Nick Sylvester sent Daniel Street out on a high note, engaging with their few passionate fans, and ignoring the vast majority—ambivalent philistines, sipping beers from atop padded bar stools. Adam, Matt and Nick seemed oblivious to their chilly surroundings, having more fun on stage than seemed necessary or fair. Such unbridled enthusiasm is so rare in music (and life) and I felt compelled to speak with the band about the 2011 debut album Trash Hit, their distinct sound (which can best be described as “garbage pop”), and why they only use a Boss EX-2 Guillotine sustain pedal (rather than an EX-3).

Ryan Sartor: When I saw you perform at Daniel Street, I was quite unaware of Mr. Dream, but upon listening to the first song, I became instantly enthralled. How important has touring been to your band?

Matt Morello (vocals, bass guitar): Well, first of all, thanks a lot. I think that’s one of the main things you’re hoping for on the road, that someone’s going to get excited about what you’re doing, the songs, what your idea of a show is. Hopefully lots of someones. Getting out and doing it night after night you learn a ton, not just from playing the songs a lot, but because you have so much new shit to deal with every night--like at that Milford show, we had some issues with Adam’s guitar, and there was that cool ledge to jump off of at the front of the stage, and this really receptive core group up front but also this big, maybe-indifferent sports bar in the back, and every night it’s just like, alright, here we go.

R: The most obvious translation of “Trash Hit” is a really bad, successful song. I’m sure that view is too simplistic though. What were you guys aiming for with that song, and how did it being the title track inform the rest of the album?

Adam Moerder (vocals, guitar): No that view is totally valid and not at all simplistic! We liked the ethos of “Trash Hit” (feel free to start making exaggerated masturbation gestures here) because we felt like garbage men. A lot of music that’s trendy right now can be (and has been) called pretty, chill, hazy, etc, and we feel like we’re collecting all the dirty stuff that everyone discarded long ago.

Nick Sylvester (drums, producer): But in the same breath, “Trash Hit” is also a joke on Mr. Dream. “It’s not my cup of tea but what the hey.”

M: The guy in the song thinks he’s doing a diss track about us in a diss track that happens to be about him.

R: I feel that a listener needs to be much more sophisticated than I am to pick up on the musical references in your work. The Pixies and Husker Du are probably the two more mainstream examples. I think that if those two bands were concerned with using pop music and stretching it out, Mr. Dream is about going one step further, poking your head out on the other side—past pop music, past “power pop,” and into something else. Do you allow yourselves to be aware of the musical history that led to the music you’re making, and how does that knowledge inform your work?

A: Every musician is painstakingly aware of his musical lineage. Some namecheck their influences constantly and even admit whom they’re copping, others like to give off the impression that they don’t even know who the Beatles are, like they’re operating in a vacuum of their own musical genius or something, but rest assured all of them know their history. And...we’re no different.

M: I think there’s a sense of possibility that comes from having listened to a ton of great things, and a sense of purpose from wanting to hear more of certain things that might not get made if you don’t make them. You get ideas as well as encouragement that there’s room for what you do.

R: I was quite glad to have Ryan Kattner push me to the front of the venue right before you guys took the stage. He seems like a fun guy to be around. How has it been touring with Mister Heavenly?

N: Ryan, Nick, and Joe were super supportive. They watched our set what had to be almost every night and--yes--did stuff like push people all they way up to the front of the house. That’s not something the headliner usually does.

M: Those guys are masters of that sort of thing, connecting with a crowd, making a show work. They’ll also close and re-close your van if you forget to take the key out of your pocket and keep accidentally hitting the trunk-open button during your set.

R: I wrote this at Daniel Street: “Mr. Dream is an ideal tour mate for Mister Heavenly. They have the lyrical fun of Jonathan Richman, the casual vocals of punks, and the tight awareness of melody and energy that you’d hope for from any decent pop band.” Has Jonathan Richman been an influence on your band? Are there any specific punk bands you guys admire?

N: Modern Lovers’ Jonathan Richman is a different beast from solo Jonathan Richman, but all that Modern Lovers stuff is pitch perfect. He figured out a way to be punk but without being nihilistic, pop without being dumb, smart without being pretentious. I like that guy fine.

M: We’re not hardcore kids by any means, but I think we’ve all had plenty of holy-shit moments with punk bands via recordings or YouTube. Wipers, Black Flag, Minutemen, Descendents, the Dictators, Fugazi if you count them, it’d be a long list.

N: Wire, Pil, Killing Joke. The usual suspects.

R: You seemed to have more fun onstage than any band has a right to, the rhythm section in particular. What’s the key to your ecstatic energy at a venue?

A: This’ll sound stupid, but we try to write songs that we can get excited about playing night in and night out. We’re not making music to study or fall asleep to.

R: I’m really curious as to what you guys will sound like in five years. Do you think that you’ll mellow out a la Nada Surf, or go deeper into the rougher aspects of your sound?

M: Five years is a long time. I think by that time, probably a lot of stuff with contact microphones, vintage tape effects, that sort of thing. Really expensive stuff.

N: Exactly. By then the music will have taken a backseat to Matt and Adam’s modeling careers.

R: Perhaps lingering too much on the album title Trash Hit, I began to think of your music as “garbage pop,” meaning that you have these beautiful melodies and fantastic harmonies, and you bury them under a heap. I find that in digging down to the core of each song, everything I pass along the way is fascinating. Was your album structured this way by design?

N: We’re never asked this kind of question, which is weird considering how much time we (and clearly you too) thought about it. But yes. By design. We like range. That said, I don’t think we buried anything pretty on Trash Hit so much as we just tried to have really strong contrasts. That means within the album--so you have a song like “Knick Knack” and also a song like “Walter”--and also within each song too. To say nothing of the lyrics and vocal melody. The rawest lyrics tend to be attached to the catchiest vocal melodies. Stuff like that.

R: “Crime” is an especially melodic song—very, very catchy. It feels in some ways slightly more accessible than the rest of the album. Did you know when you recorded ‘Crime’ that it would be a single?

N: We didn’t really know until we recorded and mixed it. “Crime” felt pretty puny when we practiced it. But songs with less going on can sound huge when you record them.

R: In “Scarred for Life” and “Holy Name” there is a repeating of phrases: “The same, the same, the same” and “It never made sense to me.” Is that structure planned out while writing the lyrics, or does the music inform the repetition?

N: I don’t remember the specifics with either, like if Adam or Matt went into lyric writing mode with the idea that “OK I want to make sure I repeat phrases this song.” But we all love when lyrics and arrangement communicate with each other like that--poke fun at each other, undermine each other, etc. Matt singing “the same!” over and over again. Stuff like that. Lennon and McCartney are the kings of this obviously.

R: The lyric in “Shotgun Tricks,” “Honey, go get my shotgun” is quite evocative. Do you think of these lyrics as coming from a character, are they metaphorical, or are they just the words that best pair with the energy of the song?

N: The way I always understood this song was that it’s from the perspective of a person who really, really gives a shit about being good with shotguns. “It’s not a game to me.” Like shotgun virtuosity past the point of functionality, let alone past the point of people caring. Caring to the detriment of relationships outside the one with the gun.

R: Mr. Dream the live band and Mr. Dream on record song like different acts to me. What you’re doing on the album feels very specific and I admire the care that goes into its construction. The live show displays a similar attention to musicianship, but there’s also this raw energy that I don’t think could ever be pinned down on tape. An example of this is the opening guitar riff on “Winners,” which sounds technically wondrous on record, but almost sliced off the top of my head when Adam played it live. I don’t mean it as a way of disparaging the album, but I’m just wondering if the differences between album and live performance are intentional, beyond the usual ways that a live show and album will always be different things?

A: We got a lot better at playing our instruments since recording Trash Hit. Also, my equipment in particular has drastically improved. I’m now playing out of a ‘65 Fender Bassman. It’s a super loud amp and does a great job of cutting through live. The near-decapitation you experienced during “Winners” can be attributed to my new sustain pedal, the Boss EX-2 Guillotine.

N: You want to make sure you get the EX-2. The EX-3 has different capacitors and it’s--it’s fine but it’s not an EX-2.

R: How did the song “Knick Knack” come together lyrically?

A: I was listening to a lot of British invasion music and thought it was funny how there were all these really sweet, catchy songs with really harsh lyrics directed at a girl (e.g. the Rolling Stones’ “Yesterday’s Paper”). I don’t condone the message, I just wanted to try writing one of those “I’m awesome, you’re shit” songs.

R: The rumbling guitar in “Croquet,” and the song in general, with its refrain of “Oh my god” and lyrics like “It’s all just a game” feels really exuberant, tragic, and epic all at the same time. Did the song affect you guys emotionally the first time you heard it completed, or at some point during the songwriting process?

A: Our friend Matt LeMay mixed that song. In its early, lyric-less drafts the song was something of a joke to us. We’d sing the chorus as “They’re ice bros/Bros icing bros/they’re ice bros”, so the first time we heard a finished mix we were surprised it sounded like an actual song.

R: There is a spectacular amount of verbal fun being had on the closing track, “Learn The Language.” What is the lyrical aim of the band in general?

A: We don’t have an official band philosophy on writing lyrics, but our vocals are pretty front and center, so we try to make them evocative when we can. Anything that’d look good on a t-shirt typically works.

R: I would remiss if I did not mention Adam and Nick’s history writing about rock music [for the site Pitchfork, as well as other publications], though I may not even put it in the piece as it seems distracting and beside the point and I imagine you guys are sick of discussing it. All that being said, how has your background in music journalism affected your songwriting?

A: It really hasn’t at all. The two processes aren’t really that similar.

N: Ditto. People seem to overestimate how much music journalists actually know about music.

R: I got a real kick out of Matt yelling, “What is this, the fucking Sea Grape in Fairfield?” Have you guys ever played at the Sea Grape, or do you have a personal story from that bar, Matt?

M: We have never played the Sea Grape. I dated a girl from Fairfield for a while, and I know we went once or twice but it’s always been more of a running joke for us, how her friends referred to going to the bar as “graping it,” which in turn we supposed made them “grapists,” etc. Arija was actually supposed to come that night but couldn’t because she was busy with med school. So basically, the story of our band: inside jokes for someone who’s not there, overheard by other people who get them anyways.

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Broadcast Hearts, Ghost of Chance @ Elm Bar FRIDAY DECEMBER 23




Ghost of Chance are an experimental rock band based in New Haven, Connecticut. The group’s distinctive style is characterized by subtle time signature changes and sonically open experimentation set to surrealist lyrics. Ghost of Chance’s sound takes its influence from 1960s psychedelica, math rock and post punk while maintaining the shimmer of classic pop sensibilities.





Broadcast Hearts is a four-piece, alternative rock band from Trumbull, Connecticut. Formed in 2009, the group comprises Avery Bazan (lead vocals, piano), Chris Parian (synth, backing vocals), Justin Molfese (bass guitar, backing vocals), and Ted Ferik (drums).

Noted for their guitar-less set, the keys-based group engages a dynamic sound and style, drawing influence from acts such as Coldplay, Keane, Jack's Mannequin, and Ben Folds. Contrasted by leading piano and synths, the band presents a wide range of music from anthems to ballads. While still young, the band has enjoyed early success in various venues across Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and New York.



ELM BAR
372 Elm St, New Haven, CT 06511-4711

9pm 21+ $3



ghostofchance by GhostofChance


Friday, December 16, 2011

The Fake Babies – Don’t Hold Your Breath


The Fake Babies, with their late era Modest Mouse/Walkmen-esque vocals, processed drum machines, and haunting synths, create an interesting, artful, and noisy electronic song. The 4-piece, based out of New Haven, Conn., has just begun working on a new LP. Keep your eyes peeled for more stuff by these guys.

Fake Babies - Dont Hold Your Breath by CTINDIE

Monday, December 12, 2011

Charter Oak, Back in the Game




This is Robert Denby posting for Mr. Andrew Jackson.

The Charter Oak Cultural Center
is continuing their tradition of top shelf indie rock shows now in a slightly cozier setting. For the past year, the Oak has been hosting Indie Nights in the Gallery below the sanctuary roughly once per month. The new venue is accessed by the red side door, giving it a decidedly underground feel. This month, the night to remember is Saturday, December 17.

The line up features an all local cast including:

Ghost in your Basement from Torrington

Ports of Spain from New Haven

Pools are Nice from Orange

and getting back together for their second last show ever, the briefly lived Hartford based band

Girls in the Boy Scouts

Doors open at 8 pm and lasts until it is finished.

As always a door fee of 6$ or 5$ and a canned veggie to donate to Hartford Food Not Bombs is suggested.

Charter Oak Cultural Center
21 Charter Oak Avenue
Hartford, CT 06106



Ghost In Your Basement - Basements EP - 01 Basements Pt. 1 & 2 by CTINDIE


Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Kyuss Lives! At Toads Place December 8



Sometimes it seems as if a band’s influence trumps its record sales. Okay, maybe this doesn’t apply to the Beatles, but look at bands like the Stooges and the Velvet Underground, who both helped inspire certain forms of music long after their original shot of glory. You can claim that both laid down the blueprint for other musical styles to follow.

When Kyuss busted out of the California desert in the late 80’s/early 90’s, their slowed down and ultra heavy take on hardcore, combined with a deft sense of dynamics and killer songwriting laid down a blueprint for a whole generation of bands to follow.

They released four full lengths, two of which, “Blues For The Red Sun” and “Sky Valley” are considered two of the best heavy rock records of the past 20 years. When they broke up in 1995, people thought little of it, until there seemed to be a resurgence of riff rock in their wake.

It also looked like they would never get back together. All the members of the band went on to other projects. But a spontaneous reunion last year, lead to a re-formation of the band that nobody thought would get back together.

John Garcia (vocals), Nick Oliveri (bass) and Brant Bjork (drums) met at a European festival last year while Garcia was doing his Garcia Plays Kyuss project. He invited his two former band mates on stage; they jammed a bit and decided to make a new go of it as Kyuss Lives! There is one no show though. Guitarist Josh Homme of QOTSA was not involved in the reunion. (Guitarist Bruno Fevery has taken his place.)

“Originally I was doing the Garcia Plays Kyuss thing over in Europe and I ended up at a festival where both Nick and Brant were playing. I invited them onstage to jam and it felt great. So we decided to get together and do some shows in Europe. It made perfect sense to do this. Everybody in the band is putting their other projects on hold to do this,” said Garcia.

What started innocently enough in Europe has extended to two tours of the United States as well as runs in South America and Canada. When they hit Toad’s Place tomorrow, the reformed band will be toward the end of a second leg of United States tour dates.

Suffice to say, Garcia is stoked by the reaction the band has received.

“It’s going really good. I’m just appreciative that people are still psyched to hear this music we made all those years ago,” Garcia said.

This newfound sense of purpose and energy will even lead up to a new a record. It will be recorded next year and they hope to have it out sometime late next year. They are busy writing and when this touring cycle ends in a few days, they are going to take some time off and then reconvene in January to start production on it.

Garcia said he is especially curious to see how this will turn out. He guarantees that the ideas are flowing and that the music will be up to the high standard that the band set for itself many years ago. There are a lot of variables that will go into the making of the new album, but Garcia is confident that the band will deliver a winner.

In the live arena, the band cherry picks the best songs from “Blues For The Red Sun”, “Sky Valley” and “….And The Circus Leaves Town”, and mix it up quite frequently, so some songs get played on certain nights while others don’t. It helps to keep things fresh for the band, and especially for the fans, who don’t know what songs they’ll be getting on their particular night.

As mentioned higher up in the article, when talking about Kyuss, one must also talk about the band’s legacy. This is a band that casts a very large shadow over a certain variety of hard rock that has popped up in the last twenty years. In fact, some would say without the band, the underground music scene would be much different. Garcia understands this but also is careful on what he says concerning this issue.

“When the word legacy gets brought up, I don’t want people to think I’m unappreciative because I’m not. Whatever you want to label the band, I just say we play rock’n’roll. I really don’t mind the term stoner rock anymore. Whatever you want to call it, I’m very appreciative that I’m still able to do this,” said Garcia.

It is understandable that no artist wants to be pigeonholed, because that might seem like they are painting themselves into a corner artistically and give people a false sense of what to expect from them. Still, you have to give him credit, because he isn’t shying away from the “s” rock word, which a certain other member of the original band who is not involved in this resurrection tends to avoid it like the plague. For Kyuss Lives!, embracing their past helps them point to a future for the band.

“It’s been one hell of a year. It’s been great,” said Garcia.

Kyuss Lives!
The Sword
Black Cobra
Curse The Sun

Thursday, December 8
Toad's Place
300 York Street, New Haven, CT 06511

7pm - $23 advance ($25 door) - All Ages


Saturday, December 3, 2011

Jukebox The Ghost Plays The Space! Has New Video!


Philly's own Jukebox The Ghost return to CT on Dec 9th at The Space in Hamden. These guys have played all over CT in the past 5 or more years and people are listening! You should too!
They will be finishing off their December tour on the 9th and will be joined by: Savoir Adore and The Spring Standards.

Jukebox The Ghost also recently released a new video for the song "Half Crazy" from their LP "Everything Under The Sun" out on Yep Roc:



So go to The Space on 12/09, you should be going to The Space as often as it is possible ANYWAY!

Doors: 7PM
Cost: $14 / $12 advanced

BUY TICKETS HERE

Jukebox The Ghost
Savoir Adore
The Spring Standards

295 Treadwell Street
Hamden, CT
06514


Jukebox the Ghost - Schizophrenia by MCT MANAGEMENT

Friday, December 2, 2011

SEASONS SLEAZINGS WITH NIGHTBITCH



Friday December 9, 9pm
Scotty O'Boyle's
523 North Colony Street, Meriden, CT 06450
Free admission
21+

DJ's will begin spinning the classics at 9 sharp. Think lots of Deep Purple, Priest, Sabbath, Rainbow, Blue Oyster Cult, etc. Nightbitch will perform at midnight

Drink specials and $2 PBR bottles guaranteed to keep your lazer burnin' HOTT
...reindeer fucker for those in the know


SEASONAL ATTIRE:
Gentlemen are encouraged to wear Santa outfits or homely sweaters.
Ladies are encouraged to dress as slutty elves.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

ANAMANAGUCHI with MATH THE BAND and 2 TON BUG @ Lilly's Pad


ASTERISK CONCERTS PRESENTS:

ANAMANAGUCHI

Anamanaguchi is a four-piece group from New York City that combines guitars with the thick, electronic tones of a Nintendo Entertainment System. With driving, dynamic and melodic tracks, they focus on creating sounds that seem bigger than their hardware. A member of the artist collective 8bitpeoples, Peter Berkman has been creating chiptune music since 2003. They have since toured across the country and briefly in the UK and Ireland. Their debut, ‘Power Supply’ EP, was released in 2006 as a free download through 8bitpeoples and has since received over 50,000 downloads.


MATH THE BAND
Math the Band is a electro-punk spazz duo from Providence, RI. They use a combination of old video game systems, analog synthesizers and energy drinks to make the fastest, loudest, most party-est music they can imagine. They've only cracked their head open on stage ONCE


2 TON BUG
I am going to let their facebook bio explain "WE CAME UP THROUGH THE MUD AND STRAIGHT TO YOUR HEARTS". I think that about does it!


This all takes place tomorrow, December 2nd at The Lily Pad (Upstairs at Toad's Place)
300 York St, New Haven
8PM / $10

GET YOUR TICKETS HERE!!!

See you there

Anamanaguchi - 1 - Blackout City by edflores1

Thursday, November 17, 2011

The Mountain Movers are a classic modernity!


The warm tape hiss forewarns of the the abrupt and awesome sonic blast of the first track of The Mountain Movers new 45RPM single. "I Watch The Sea" cracks open like an egg and instantly attracts with its melange of classic and current rock swagger. I hear everything from The Stones to Sonic Youth in this song. It's bursting with attitude and from what I understand is a current live favorite (and rightly so!). This song has several false endings so keep on it, as I am sure this could easily turn into a much longer song live. Up next is the prettiest song on this 45, "World What World" charms us with a lean 1:26 of sweet waxy pop. I think this song stands out as the most accessible one, and thankfully we are able to post/stream it HERE.

Side B has slow chugger "I've Been To Space". While noticably more discordant than the other side, this song is nonetheless as engaging and remarkable. The environment is airy and menacing and eventually unfolds into a squealing feedback outro. I noticed it seems like this 7 " is like day and night on the opposing sides, which I think is pretty neat. The vibes of the music on the first side are certainly more conventionally melodic, and side B is dark and creepy, as well as slightly dissonant.

I am a huge fan of vinyl and this 45 brought back the sensations of my first few K records singles. There is a certain warm excitement that comes from dropping the needle on a short piece of wax from an artist you know is making music not only out of love for creation, but also out of love for the medium they chose. The Mountain Movers take the old, and they make it new!

I did a brief email interview with Rick of The Mountain Movers:

This 45 is very classic! Classic sounding and designed. Is this going to be a single series like the old days? How many singles do you have planned?

This single, "Sea/World/Space", is the first of 3 planned 45rpm 7 inch singles. We will release the next two in the new year. It is a mini-series, in that sense. We are currently working on the next one. Each single will have the same Car Crash Avoiders label sleeve with die-cut center, but there will be design variations on the actual label on the record. Been having a lot of love for the ol' 7" single lately. The format, the label sleeve, the artifact itself...it is really quite special. We were very inspired, visually, by the singles of 60s and 70s. But, of course, Dan Greene has his distinct artistic style that he puts on everything we do, which I think is very unique. It's our twisted homage to that style.

Have you found working with tape to vinyl has met your expectations?

Yes. Tape is the best! All of our releases have been recorded onto tape, with the exception of our debut CD (and picture disc 7" single, recorded during those same sessions). We love records and think there is something truly unique about the format. Tape is warm and organic, fussy and temperamental, just like us. Give us tape...2 inch 16-track reel-to-reel, 4-track cassette tape home recorder...we'll take it any day over digital recording. We love tape hiss. We always include a digital copy with our full length LP releases as we understand folks like to have it for their on-the-go devices (car stereo, mp3 player, etc) but really we are putting out music we love on the formats we love: vinyl and tape.

What is your favorite 45?

This question is near impossible to answer! Personally speaking, prior to this last summer, I would have probably picked a Peruvian cumbia 45 as they sound amazing and look totally awesome with their record label sleeves and interesting label artwork. But right now my most beloved 45 is one that I picked up in Morocco. I don't know who it is and I can't tell if the writing I can read (the few words that are not written in the Arabic alphabet) is the name of the songs, or the singer. "El Farka Chaabia" is the best guess I can make as to the name of the artist. But it is absolutely beautiful, inside and out. I can tell you it is on Koutoubiaphone, the premier Moroccan label of the early 70s, which is when this single dates back to. And while this particular Koutoubiaphone single has a picture sleeve with stunning front and back cover images, their generic label sleeve of the time is very awesome too.

Thanks for the compliment, we are feeling very accomplished with this one! It's nice to have a new release that reflect the current line-up, which we are enjoying tremendously.

And thanks for taking the time to ask some questions!
Cheers
-Rick

Well, there you have it. Go enjoy this and the future 45 singles from this CT powerhouse!


The Mountain Movers - World What World by CTINDIE

Friday, November 11, 2011

MUSIC FOR MEALS at The Space on Saturday!


Quinnipiac University's 98.1 WQAQ Hosts Upcoming Benefit Concert

Hamden, CT. November 12, 2011--Quinnipiac University's student-run radio station, WQAQ, is holding its annual Music For Meals benefit concert on Saturday, November 12 at The Space in Hamden, CT. Headlining the concert is Brooklyn-based folk pop band Laura Stevenson & The Cans, featuring members of Latterman and Bomb the Music Industry. Their Sophmore LP, "Sit, Resist" was named one of the best records of 2011 by Marcus Gilmer of the A.V. Club.

Rounding out the lineup are Connecticut locals Great Caesar and psychedelic lo-fi group High Pop. The premier of High Pop's "hippie speed ball" was featured online on the College Music Journal. It was also reviewed on CTINDIE.COM right HERE.

Opening the show is New Jersey garage punk band Conor and the Stone Hill Kids. They recently released their independent debut "Don't Move."

Proceeds from the concert will be brought to the Hamden Food Bank to provide food for the Thanksgiving holiday. The Hamden Food Bank is a part of the Keefe Community Center, an organization that works diligently to better the Hamden community.

98.1 WQAQ hosts a charity concert at The Space every November. Past headliners have included Cymbals Eat Guitars, Patent Pending, and Nightmare of You. Doors open at 7 PM and admission is only five dollars, or free with two canned goods.

Check out 98.1 WQAQ on:
Facebook
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Howl Brings The Heavy To Milford on November 17


Rhode Island’s Howl, deal in the type of filthy, down tuned riff worship that makes any fan of the loud and noisy stuff, grin from ear to ear. Over the course of one EP, and one critically lauded debut album, “Full Of Hell” (both on Relapse), the band has proven they have what it takes to make interesting and exciting heavy music. After getting the debut out of the way, the band is now getting ready to prep album number two, which according to drummer Timmy St. Amour is a very important one in a band’s career.

“There is definitely pressure because the second record is usually known as a make-or-break record. We’re just excited about the new material and we’re looking to show people how far we’ve progressed as a band. We can’t wait for this to come out,” said drummer Timmy St. Amour.
After playing an exhilarating gig at the first annual, Metalsucks.net, Suck Fest last week in New York City, the band is in writing mode, as they get ready to work on more new material for the record and do a string of headlining live dates.

So far, they have 8 songs ready for the record with about another 7 that need a little work. The plan is to have more songs than they need, so when they enter the studio in February or March of next year, they can pick and choose what works best for them. They plan on having the record out in late spring or early summer.

As far as the new material goes, St. Amour says that the new material is a little more straightforward and faster, belying some black metal and speed metal influences, but it’s still plenty heavy and filthy. It’s still Howl, through and through.

To help them out, new member, guitarist Josh Durocher-Jones, has flown in from his home in Cleveland to partake in the live activities and writing process. He is staying at St. Amour’s house.

While it might seem odd that while the rest the band, including guitarist/vocalist Vincent Hausman and bassist Rob Icaza make their homes in Rhode Island, their new member lives in the Midwest. Durocher-Jones came highly recommended from ex-touring mates (and metal warriors in their own right) Skeletonwitch, and has proved his mettle on the road for the band and will make his recorded debut with the band on the new record. St. Amour said it really is no big deal, because Durocher-Jones just flies in whenever they need him to write, record or tour.
They also recently completed and released a video for the “Full Of Hell” track, “Heavenless”, which is a gory and over the top rendering of the song full of bad table manners, fight scenes and pseudo-Victorian clothing. It’s a fun, yet slightly goofy introduction to the band.

St. Amour said it was fun to do, but next time they will exude a little more creative control and make the video a little more serious.

As noted from higher up in this article, Howl are from Rhode Island and so are a bunch of other great loud and heavy bands. For a state its size it seems to turn out a lot of great bands, almost more than should be expected and Howl are proud to come from such a rich scene.
“It’s a really unique music scene. The foundation was laid down by heavy noise bands like Lightning Bolt and the warehouse scene, but that goes back about 10 years. There is also Dropdead and the whole Armageddon record label and store, too. It’s a mixing pot, where kids from the noise scene will go see metal, and people from other scenes will go to another scene’s show. There are no weird competitions. It’s been breeding outside the box for quite some time,” said St. Amour.

(It will be noted that this writer has heard from several Connecticut residents who go to shows in state, that if they could afford it, they would go to Providence for shows. For me, I wish there was less competition between the scenes and maybe some co-operation, but I know that’s a pipe dream.)

But all griping aside, this looks to be fine bill with Howl headlining over a bunch of bands that are all excellent in their own right. Judging by the description on the Manic Productions web site, Worms In Women And Cattle look to bring it, while Sea Of Bones and Red Blade look to represent Connecticut metal in a good way. So why not? It’s a solid bill from top to bottom.


Manic Productions Presents:

Howl
Worms In Women And Cattle
Sea Of Bones
Red Blade

Thursday, November 17
Daniel Street
21 Daniel Street
Milford, CT

8pm - $10 – 21+ BUY TICKETS NOW or pick them up at Redscroll Records.


Thursday, November 10, 2011

Joe Lally Plays BAR on November 16

Photo © Antonia Tricarico

Joe Lally is a man of few words, mainly letting his music do the talking for him. Whether laying down memorable bass riffs, such as the intro for “Waiting Room” by Fugazi or over the course of many side projects and three solo records (“There To Here”, “Nothing Is Underrated” and “Why Should I Get Used To It”), showing an ability to always push himself into new and exciting sonic environments, he has shown he is one of the most innovative punk musicians of the last 20 years.

Even though the shadow of Fugazi looms large, he has managed to carve himself a nice little niche with his solo records, which where started under the humblest of circumstances.

“When Fugazi went on break I found that I wasn't ready to stop playing live music. I had to find a way to keep going,” said Lally.

This led him to three solo records, even solo records would be a misnomer, because the first two, 2006’s “There To Here” and 2007’s “Nothing Is Underrated” are basically collaborations with such underground rock luminaries as Ian MacKaye, Eddie Janney and Scott “Wino” Weinrich. Even on his new record, “Why Should I Get Used To It”, which was recorded in Rome, where Lally makes his home with his wife and daughter, he brought in musicians Elisa Abela (guitar) and Emanuele Tomasi (drums) to help him work out his vision.

Still, despite the collaborative effort of these releases, there are some major differences between how these were done and how writing and recording was done in Fugazi.

“That was the effort of four individuals. My solo work is much more the efforts of one (with some help). I sound the same on bass I think, but most similarities with Fugazi end there. Lyrically I don't think I write anything like Guy or Ian,” said Lally.

Even though, there is a slight difference between the first two solo records and the new one. In the case of the new one, he knew ahead of time who his musicians would be, so that helped greatly in finding a unified sound.

“The first two were written rather open ended. I left a space for what would be the "lead" instrument. With the last one I was ready to see what I might write on guitar. I can't really play guitar so I thought that would keep it interesting. Once I had Elisa as a regular player I wrote a few directed at her way of playing. She's a natural improviser. It's still me writing on bass and singing. That keeps the songs sounding like mine,” said Lally.

When asked who his favorite bass players are, Lally cites the following: Larry Graham, Bootsy Collins, Jah Wobble, Peter Hook, Rick Denko, and Chiara Locardi to name a few. He admits he likes them for their originality and if you listen to any of Lally’s work you will there are a wide range of influences on it, it’s not like he is just influence by funk bassists or dub ones, but by a wide variety of musicians.

Even though, he stays humble when talking how his own bass playing has evolved since his early days.

“I'm not so sure. From the inside of it you can't really measure that. It's been like 26 years or whatever since I picked up the instrument. I'm certainly better at picking out what I like to hear,” said Lally.

Even though, he has been living in Rome for the past four years, he still hasn’t lost interest in what goes in the United States. For instance he is very encouraged by the current “Occupy” protests that have been going on in many cities across our fair land.

“I think it's great. It's the kind of action I think people need to take. It turned rather violent here in Rome the other day, but I think that kind of protest obliterates the message. I think a stronger message is made when people of all kinds are involved, children and the elderly should be in on it. When it gets violent they'll say it was a few young hooligans and dismiss the whole thing,” said Lally.

So come on down to BAR next Wednesday and witness the return of one of the preeminent punk rock musicians of the past 20 years. Sure it’s a Wednesday and it’s Connecticut, but it’s free and should feature some awesome music. So what’s your excuse this time?

Manic Productions Presents:

Joe Lally
Mick Barr
Helen Money

Wednesday, November 16
BAR – New Haven
254 Crown Street
New Haven, CT

9:00pm – Free – 21+



Stephen Bennett at Roaring Brook


Saturday November 19, 2011
Stephen Bennett
Harp Guitarist

Stephen Bennett is a finger-picking genius on all types of guitars, from acoustic to National Steel resonators, but his expertise lies in playing beautiful tunes on the harp guitar. His style is haunting and moving, and draw you right in with the sheer emotion.

On Saturday Nov 19th he will be playing a solo show at Roaring Brook Nature Center in Canton. Definitely worth checking out.





Roaring Brook Nature Center
70 Gracey Road, Canton, CT 06019
$18.00/ $20.00 Door

For more info check out:
http://www.roaringbrookconcerts.org/

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

The Field Recordings deserve your attention!


The Field Recordings pump out high energy guitar-driven pop music. This band could fit in nearly anywhere in the past 30 years of indie rock. I had a chance to see them play at Freight Street Gallery on Friday 10/14 and they gave it their all. It was late and the crowd was dwindling, but the remaining audience members were whipped into a frenzy at first song and stayed going strong until the last beat. Aside from the obvious skill of each of the 3 band members, what impressed me most was how much it appeared that each enjoyed playing the music. Many of the songs intricacies clearly appealed to each member in different ways, and it showed in the performance.

So I got my hands on a copy of their newest release, a full length album called "The Elastic Nostalgia", and the translation from live act to recorded set goes very smoothly. The energy shines through the recordings and has some pretty solid replay value. The drums and bass were expertly played and recorded, as solid as any band of this model can ask for. The parts may appear simple but the embellishments of the drummer (Jared Thompson) and bassist (Noel Thomas) end up being imperative nuances. Then there are the guitar and vocal stylings of Daniel Gallo. This guy knows how to create environments with guitar. The effects he uses manage to change the context of the part he is playing without distracting you from seamless enjoyment. I was most impressed at the careful thought that seems to be evident in the types of tones and effects he chooses for each song. They compliment the compositions gorgeously. The vocals, while quirky, come across as their own sound. I don't like to compare but the vocals contain many different characteristics, from the spazziness of DEVO to the soulful crooning of Dirty Projectors. It's all over the place and dead on note somehow all at the same time.

Now for the album: The collection of songs stands as a unit or as individuals, I really couldn't find an "out of place" moment on the whole thing. Nearly all of the songs have standout potential as singles. Track 2 "(Caught Up In All The) Interludes" is an obvious choice for a lead single, and is placed as such. The time changeups on "Framing Happiness" are wonderful and almost completely seamless despite how dramatically the timing changes. It was at this point where I realized these gentlemen make a much smarter pop music than is generally made. Album closing track "STATESCAPES" is a fitting conclusion. Celebrating the energy prevalent on the entirety of the album as well as providing a musical farewell greeting.

I had a chance to do a phone interview with Daniel Gallo, and here's how it went:


The Field Recordings both live and on record sounds like accomplished musicians all playing in a like-minded model, what were some of the earlier bands you and the other members played in?


Jared and I were in a bunch of really awful punk bands in high school, we've been playing together since we were like 14 and Noel has done just about... everything...


The Elastic Nostalgia is an example of a set of songs that are creatively related, were there any outtakes or songs that did not make the cut?

Yeah, there was one.


Do you have any plans on releasing it?

No. It was a really old one. I think we were already pretty tired of playing it. It could have been a good song, but we lost our objectivity on it. It was one of our really early songs so to me it was pretty evident that I was just patching stuff together and we were just fumbling our way through. We never liked playing it and it got really old and I think we subconsciously tanked the recording of it so we couldn’t put it on the album.


Is there a narrative or story pertaining to The Elastic Nostalgia?

I've really only been thinking about that since its been out, retrofitting a meaning to it. But I'm trying to think of my favorite albums and bands and stuff that I listen to, and what I hold a good album to be, did we actually make that? That seems like a huge mountain for us to have left, as far as like how could we have possibly made it, the album, so to speak. But there are a lot of things that link all the songs together in title or obviously there’s a certain "gallows humor" that runs through all the songs. I think they all do make a piece, make a whole.


What is The Elastic Nostalgia?

I’m hoping it’s one of those nebulous phrases where people can try to understand without technically knowing what it means, like a Bob Dylan lyric or something. It’s a suffocating feeling, to me anyway. It's mostly about getting to this age and looking around at the stuff we've been raised on and you get to a point where you have to reassess everything and there’s no clear path forward and it's a process of looking around and taking the stuff that just does not work and trying to get away from it. It touches on nostalgia being a marketing trick, another point of exploitation. As far as I can feel it, it’s a huge enveloping white noise.


The Field Recordings seem to be a very poppy band, but with complicated time changes and flamboyant energies. How do you maintain your pop sensibilities without getting too far "out there"?

At first when we started we would put down these things we just didn’t want to do. I didn’t want to use bar chords, and I didn’t want to write songs about chicks and whatever. Those were the majorly important things and to try and figure out how to get from one section to another without Noel or I [re-treading something too many times] so some of our old songs were like really pretty tedious 5+ minute long songs just trying to figure out how to even go about it. But I’m hoping that were pretty good self editors, I think I have a pretty decent idea of what will test peoples patience.


What are your plans for the near and far futures?

We're trying to move this forward in a legitimate kind of way. We have to get someone interested. I mean we're a little on the older side for just knocking around town. We're sending stuff out; we're trying to figure out what comes next. Further future, I’d love to get more people in the band, if that’s even possible. At least a keyboardist! I’d really love to make a record that’s longer and dance music.


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


Now there was much more to this interview than was transcribed, as it was done over the phone. To hear the interview in its nearly unedited entirety, check it out HERE
ALSO you had better go see them TONIGHT 11/9 at the ROCCUPATION NEW HAVEN event at CAFÉ NINE at 9PM:
250 State Street
New Haven, CT
Check out the Facebook Event HERE


Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Review: Brain Room's "Axis II"



Were the men of Brain Room not musicians, but rather painters, they would no doubt be masters of the landscape, tirelessly manipulating light and shadow and shade and color to render scenes azoic, yet emotive. Their works would be beautiful, but not Baroque.
Surreal, but not quite Dali. Rather, they would stand somewhere between ideals, between the real and the fantastic.

For those caught unawares, Brain Room is a New Haven three-piece specializing in a kind aural stimulation which leans towards prog more than somewhat. To assuage the fears of those sonic aficionados who simply cannot help but to deride progressive rock as some halfway home for musically inclined arrogant youth of decidedly middle class stock, I shall clarify here there is no Gabriel-esque whimsy to found in Brain Room’s music or persona, no unintelligible themes or absurdist, pretentious lyrics. There are no costumes, no funny hats, and, as far as I know, no walls or poorly illuminated celestial objects. What Brain Room does have, however, are classically trained musicians as adept at writing songs as they are at playing their particular instruments.

On their recently-released EP "Axis II", pianos pound in the low register and dance lithely in the high. A solo cello whines dryly as an old bow is drawn lightly over its strings. A taught snare snaps like a bullwhip while cymbals clatter on like raindrops against a car windshield. Tucked into a few secluded corners you’ll find guitars both electric and acoustic and the occasional synthesizer tapped for its otherworldly tones.

The end result is an odd blend of music which, when taken as a whole, sounds like Rube Goldberg was handed a stack of classical, folk, rock, and rave albums and was then told to make a song. Each piece of the convoluted contraption is conspicuously unique, yet the end result is functional to its intended design.

Take the track “As Far as it Goes”, for example. The song begins with piano and drums providing an energetic if disco-esque rhythm as the cello belts out am emotive lead. By the thirty second mark, the song has changed pace somewhat, to flighty piano pattern and bittersweet vocal lead, only to change again some ten seconds later, this time to a breakdown á la prog-metal titans MUSE.

THE BRAIN ROOM - As far as it goes by CTINDIE

Each of the five cuts are expertly performed and composed, each distinct yet comfortably juxtaposed with the other songs. The result is a sonically consistent recording that, in the spirit of prog and its longstanding tradition of themed albums, favors a full listen, but will also accommodate a cherry-picking of tracks, if such is your proclivity.

Still, the tracks themselves seem a bit short. While Brain Room obviously favors concise composition over drawn-out jams, “Axis II” seems to build up very quickly, and end just as abruptly. Obviously, an unsigned band must survive on a budget, and albums can be costly. Still, the Wagnerian grandeur of the music demands a grand format, and I do think it would nice to see a full twelve to fifteen tracks from Brain Room in the future.

Though a generally competent vocalist, John Cahill does perhaps overexert himself in a few isolated incidences, though more detracting to the overall quality of the EP, however, is the manner in which the vocals are presented. Quiet and drenched with reverb, the vocal tracks, in some places, are obscured by the frenetic instrument tracks. The vocal melodies may still be heard with some clarity, though they do sound "thin" in contrast to the instrumentation, and the vocals themselves are difficult to decipher in some spots.

In the overall scope of the EP, however, these flaws are relatively minor, and shall no doubt be received as par for the course by any serious indie aficionado. I can say with no uncertainty Brain Room is one of the best bands Connecticut has to offer, and I would readily recommend “Axis II” to anyone who dares inquire.


SLOTHPOP as interviewed by Andrew Jackson



Robert Denby here, posting on behalf of Willimantics own Andrew Jackson. He sent a "questionnaire" to SLOTHPOP and the fruits of it are here for you to enjoy!
note: answers are in italic
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Coming up on November 11, 2011 (that’s 11/11/11) the smooth sound waves of Slothpop will be hitting us live from their actual instruments (as altered through their amplifiers). Yes they are traveling all the way to us from Indiana to entertain us at the Oak (Charter Oak Cultural Center in Hartford, CT). We decided to get to know them a bit better. This is not so much an interview as it is a questionnaire. I sent all of these questions to them already typed up, they were kind enough to answer them and send them promptly back.

Hey guys, we really don’t have the budget for a full on interview so I was hoping you could fill out this questionnaire. It’s like an interview but you don’t have to worry about me constantly cutting you off to talk about myself. You may assign a single person or answer all together. You may be brief or you may carry on for pages. It would be good if you identified who was answering. Our goal is to make this the third best performance experience you have ever had. So let us begin shall we?

Real quick, here are all of our names (with instruments), so you know who is answering what:

Kristin Newborn – lead vocals, guitar, keyboard
Drew Malott – bass, vocals

Bryan Unruh – drums

Lauren Eison – violin, vocals

Dan Zender – guitar


For starters, I am sure everyone is wondering about your name. Is your music aimed towards arboreal, lethargic primates or generally lazy ne’er-do-wells doomed to walk the first circle of hell?

Yep.

Interesting. So let’s hear about your new release. Where did you record it? How long in the making?

It was recorded at Queensize Studios in Indianapolis. It took about six months from the start of tracking until mixing and overdubbing was complete. - Drew

It seems everyone has only the nicest things to say about it, assuming you consider “weird” a compliment (which I do and I like it). What is the weirdest song? What is the most beautiful song? Not to be crass but, is it selling?

It depends on your definition of “weird.” If you mean weirdest in tone and meaning, it would be “Leaping Over Books.” If you mean weirdest in structure, it would be “Magenta.” – Bryan “Shuffler,” is the most beautiful because it’s inspired by two humans pollinating. -Kristin

We handle all of our distribution, so it’s selling well in the places we’ve played and where people have discovered us. We’re in a very cool place right now because, when people do discover us, they are discovering it for themselves or through their best friends, so they often end up loving it passionately. It’s neat little secret that they’re excited to be a part of. - Drew

Nor, would I my friend…nor would I. Speaking of which, I thought your little stage diagram was adorable. I use it in my D&D campaign as the goblin king’s lair. As it turns out the defensive positioning is often too much for even a fifth level magic user to handle. Where did you get your tactical training? How often do you have to fend off ragtag adventurers seeking fortune and glory at your shows?

The three vocal mics are +3 to INT and STR. Really, though, we all come from varied musical backgrounds and training. Kristin is a classically trained pianist, I studied music tech at Ball State (Muncie, IN; see next question), and so on. We’ve all been in various ensembles with diverse experience. - Drew

As it happens, I am from Indiana myself. I will give you three guesses as to where the coolest bar in Muncie is.

Lauren, Bryan, and Drew went to Ball State, and we all agree it’s the Heorot. But if you’re asking coolest venue, it’s Be Here Now.

Aw, so close, it is the Heorot. It would have been Savages if they had live music there. Ok, now you tell me what the 3 best places to play in Indy are.

White Rabbit, Radio Radio, and, uhhh…

I can see that, although the Alley Cat does have an indescribable charm.

So did you notice how I started each question segment with a phrase that made it sound like I was responding to what you will answer in the future? Do you think that will fool anyone? Did you even try to tailor your answer to fit the responses?

It fooled us.

How is the Indy scene these days? What are some of the other bands you guys are into right now? You can assume “Indy” to include the entire state of Indiana, even Bloomington, although that might piss off those music school snobs. Not “the region” up in the northwest corner though. Let those jerks claim they are from Chicago, everyone knows they are full of crap…am I right?

You’re definitely right. As for favorite bands, we love America Owns the Moon, the Bonesetters, Everything, Now!, Amo Joy, Crys, Jookabox, and Oreo Jones.

So it looks like that person really jacked up their clavicle. Who is that and what the hell happened to it? Has it affected your music at all?

On one fateful day, I was longboarding, and there happened to be a pothole in my way as I glided gracefully down the street. In my periphery, I did not see, the thing that would steal the step from my feet. It broke in five places, and I had to get surgery. It didn’t really affect the music except I had to sit down for our whole tour in June and July. And I always sit in the front seat in the van. - Dan

Speaking of affecting your music, what about all this neutrino business? If it turns out that this particle is actually capable of traveling at speeds faster than light, it could very well turn the music world on its ear. Do you think your band will be able to adapt to a universe where a particle can travel 500 miles in less than 3ms?
We were breaking the speed of light when the neutrinos were still underground.

Well, we should wrap this up I suppose or else no one is going to want to read it when they see how long it is…man you guys like to ramble huh? One last question, well, more of a task. The Beatles were often categorized into one single adjective per band member (ie Ringo the quiet one, John the cute one, George the fast one, and Paul the kleptomaniac). Assuming your fans are this shallow or you are all that mundane, what is the single descriptor you would assign to each of you? Take your time on this, it will be on your permanent record.
Drew: lazy
Kristin: lazy

Lauren: lazy
Bryan: lazy

Dan: priceless



Well, that is all we have timespace for today. Thank you for your gracious answers and we all very much look forward to seeing you at the Oak.

In case you, the reader, missed it:

Friday, November 11, 2011:

Slothpop
Little Ugly
Rum Glass Serenade

Doors open at 8

We ask 6$ at the door or 5$ and a veggie canned good to be donated to Hartford Food Not Bombs however no one is turned away for lack of funds.

Monday, November 7, 2011

New The Cavemen Go Video



Official music video for The Cavemen Go's single "Someone's Always Trying To Break My Heart." Video done by Max Thomas.



Thursday, November 3, 2011

Record Review: Ghost of Chance, A Simple Beast

A Simple Beast is the sophomore effort from Ghost of Chance, hailing from New Haven. GOC creates a minimalistic atmosphere from the start with the song Carthage.The mellow vocals deliver narrative-style lyrics, over electronic drums, acoustic guitar, and dreamy organs (sounds like a Mellotron throughout the record, I could be wrong). The record has a carefully crafted atmospheric layer of instruments with steady reverb. It seems like a lot of care went to producing here. All the guitar effects are tasteful and purposeful. The recording itself sounds great. The arrangement of tracks works, which can make or break a record of this melodic, poppy and experimental style.

GOC really harness a mix of sounds on this record.  Track three, Trident, has a feel of Sparkle Horse, but is followed by Lend Me a Dollar, giving an awesome Yo La Tengo feeling, without sounding derived. Every track is pretty unique. GOC gives the album a punch with the distorted chorus of Pilot. Again, the record surprises with Pipe, giving out an instrumental that is somewhere between the atmosphere of bands like Joan of Arc or Explosions in the Sky.

I can’t wait to see these guys live and see how they deal with the instrumental intricacies. I don’t know if they have any shows planned for the near future, as no shows are listed on their website. Check it out anyway. http://ghostofchance.com/

Ghost of Chance - New Carthage by CTINDIE

Friday, October 28, 2011

Show Review: You Scream I Scream At BAR, October 26


Halfway through You Scream I Scream’s show last night at BAR in New Haven, opening for White Arrows, the light sabers came out. Yep, instead of glow sticks, the Hartford based band had people brandishing light sabers and getting into mock fights with each other. It was all part of the fun, party vibe the band exudes.

Led by Floyd Kellogg on bass and vocals, the band laid down a danceable and slightly fuzzed out sound, which was equally influenced by grungy, quiet loud dynamics (especially from the rumblings of Kellogg’s bass), the simple yet effective robotic rock drum beats of Audrey Sterk and the psychedelic tinged keys of Jake Vohs. They delivered an inspired set of indie rock that had all the hipsters dancing, with or without light sabers.

They opened with the new wave gone grunge of “Tiny Reward” and kept the indie kids dancing all the way til their final song “Adios Pantalones”, whose title is a cheeky reference to one of Kellogg’s previous bands.

If I were to describe them I would say they sound mostly like a guitar-less grunge band, in that many of the songs are short, snappy and concise, where they start out slow and build to an anthemic chorus. There is a new wave influence too, in the almost simple, but sublime Kraut rock-like drum beats that feature a lot of cymbal rides from Sterk. It’s uncomplicated and catchy, which is quite a refreshing take from a form a music that is getting more baroque, complicated and pretentious every day. (Do we really need any more hipstercana bands?)

So, it was a fun night of unpretentious indie rock. You should definitely check them out.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Twin Lakes Records Presents: Michael Beach, Jay Russel, and Dwight Smith

Nov. 1st @ Cafe Nine
9 PM


Michael Beach is a San Francisco-based musician who writes, records, and performs under his own name, and as a member of Melbourne-based trio Electric Jellyfish. Since 2008, he has put out records on the Thurston Moore/Byron Coley colab label, Ecstatic Yod, and others such as Twin Lakes and Spectacular Commodity.

‘Mountains + Valleys,’ Beach’s latest solo release, comes on the eve of a second US tour for 2011, a year that also saw him tour Europe and Australia in support of his previous single, ‘A Horse.’ This time around, Beach assembled an all-star cast of West Coast musicians, including drummer Utrillo Kushner (Comets On Fire) and Raymond Raposa (Castanets) on guitar and vocals. Recorded by Trans Am’s Phil Manley, Mountains + Valleys will be released as a limited edition cassette to accompany Beach’s Autumn US Tour. Officially out on November 8th, you can grab one early at this show.
michaelbeach.bandcamp.com
Michael Beach - Straight Spines by CTINDIE


Dwight Smith writes introspective songs that call to mind a stripped-down Sufjan Stevens and Jeff Magnum. His debut single "Plumed Serpent" will be out on Twin Lakes in November (TBD).

Jay Russell of Diamond J and the Rough and Hot Rod Circuit is a local treasure in the New Haven music scene. He says he just likes to play music. Pretty understated, given the depth of his music.
www.myspace.com/diamondjandtherough