Senators - Senators

We are pleased to welcome Amy Shaw to our writing team today. She joins us with her inaugural review of Senators, by Senators.

IN BLANKETS - A Sleep Themed Split 7 Inch by Breakthrough Frequencies and City Streets Country Roads!

Like your rock spacey and environmental? Like collaborations? Then In Blankets by Breakthrough Frequencies and City Streets Country Roads is the wax for you!

Sidewalk Dave Release Celebration on 9/15!!

Time to celebrate because Sidewalk Dave's new LP is here! He is throwing a record release party on 9/15 and I better see you all there! Fake Babies will be there and performing also!

Sidewalk Dave w/ Naked Heroes and Speakeasy 4/14 @9PM

It's the triumphant return of Sidewalk Dave to New Haven this Saturday at Cafe 9. Sidewalk Dave hasn't played New Haven since October but they are back as a full band with some new tunes from their upcoming record: "Hard On Romance".

Prognosis not so grim for this duo

THE GRIMM GENERATION – The Last Record Party (Drug Reaction Records)
This semi-acoustic indie-folk duo makes frustration, whether it is job-related, romantic, or just general life issues, seem downright sexy due to the smoky voice of chanteuse in training Carmen Champagne (wonder if that’s her real name) and the tasteful acoustic playing of her partner in crime Jason Krug, along with a bunch of other musicians who helped on various tracks. Whatever it is, this doesn’t sound like the duo’s first record party, well, it’s their last…anyway, they avoid the traps of usually associated with this type of music, with some downright honest emotion in between the sarcasm. Song titles can be clever, and surprisingly honest (“Sometimes I’m Subtle (Sometimes I’m Drunk)”, “Book Of Day Job” and “Blue Eyed & Black Hearted” to name a few) and the style on display range from folky to jazzy to downright bluesy. Opening track, the aforementioned, “Sometimes I’m Subtle (Sometimes I’m Drunk)” is carried by a catchy pop hook at the chorus, while “Tick, Tick, Tick, Tick” is a bluesy stomp and shuffle bolstered by Krug’s lonely moan. But the one track that will get you all hot and bothered is “Pull The Trigger” where Champagne intones that she’s a “locked and loaded girly magazine” and then implores you to do what the title tells you to do, to her desires. If this doesn’t get you all hot and bothered, then you don’t have a pulse. Maybe you might need a cold shower after this one. (The duo recently played a burlesque type show and I can see how this one would work wonders on that crowd. Or any crowd.) So I would say definitely check this one out, if you’re a fan of good, acoustic-based music, because as we all know there is a lot of bad acoustic music floating around these days. Give in to the Grimm Generation, you’ll be glad you did.

Also check the band out at this event.

CT.Com and Chip’s Unnamed Local Band Show Present:
Live & Local Featuring….

You Scream I Scream
The Grimm Generation
The Field Recordings

Friday February 17
The Arch Street Tavern
85 Arch Street
Hartford, CT 06103

8pm - $5 – 21+

Th' Legendary Shack Shakers: Fine Southern Gentlemen

Photo by Joshua Black Wilkins

There are many bands out there today that merge traditional American roots music such as country, bluegrass and the blues with punk rock, but few do it better than Th’ Legendary Shack Shakers. Over the course of six albums, this Kentucky based band has shown that they stand head and shoulders above all the pretenders out there.

Maybe it has to do with the fact that they manage their musical alchemy with seamlessness, sincerity and authenticity or maybe it’s their high live shows, which has earned frequently shirtless and sweaty front man J.D. Wilkes comparisons to such people as Iggy Pop, and has even been called one of the best front person’s out there by the likes of Jello Biafra and Hank III. They have developed into a force to be reckoned with.

“We’re completely different from when we first started out. Originally we were more of a rockabilly band but since then we have become this Frankenstein that incorporates punk rock and blues into the mix. It’s a crunching sound and one that takes us farther away from the core, but at the same time the music is more in the spirit of what we are aiming for, in getting the rhythm of the train and other rural machinery into our sound,” said Wilkes.

The capturing of these rural industrial rhythms are in full display on the band’s new record, which is appropriately titled “Agri-dustrial”. On this one, the band is joined by Jesus Lizard guitarist Duane Denison and his noisy skronks give the music an extra jolt of electricity. (Just check out his slide work on the album’s first track “Sin Eater,” to show this is a perfect musical marriage.) What would seem like an odd pairing at first to many roots rock purists, works wonderfully. (And, yes, he is touring with the band.)

But don’t think this happened at the spur of the moment. The roots of this album and the partnership with Denison go way back. In fact, when the band first started out, Denison and his wife would go out and check out the band, enjoying what they saw and heard. They eventually became friends, and Wilkes actually lived in a room above the garage in Denison’s house for a while. During this time they came up with the concept for this record.

It was all set to go, but then Mike Patton came calling, and Tomahawk was formed. But they didn’t give up on the idea, and about nine years later they were able to put this collaboration into effect.

“It was nice to see the seed we planted all those years ago come to fruition,” said Wilkes.

While this new album is killer and it could be argued that there are no weak links in the band’s catalog, they are known as a fearsome live act. It’s a high energy spectacle that leaves the band covered in sweat. When a band has such a reputation as this, one can’t help but wonder how they keep the energy up, night after night.
It’s very easy, in fact, according to Wilkes.

“It’s always automatic. There is a switch that gets turned on once the music starts. You just get into it and start to move,” said Wilkes.

Actually what irks Wilkes more is some of the crowd reactions to the band, which also features upright bass player Mark Robertson and drummer Brett Whitacre. He can’t see why people just stand still when faced with such high energy music. After all, good music should connect with the hips and the Shack Shakers play some great hip shaking music, so it should be a no brainer to get up and dance. The spirit will move you at one of their shows.

Upcoming future plans for the band include another full length album for the summer 2012, as well as more touring with Europe in their sights and Wilkes plans to do more videos and documentary film making. He made a critically acclaimed documentary called “Seven Signs”, which is about eccentric southern people and culture that won an award at the Rain Dance Film Festival in England a few years back.

We have an acclaimed band with a great live reputation playing on Friday in Connecticut. Here is another show that you should not miss. I keep saying this about most of these, but seriously this is some good shit. Don’t miss out.

Manic Productions Presents:

Th’ Legendary Shack Shakers
Lushlife
The Proud Flesh

Friday, October 21, 2011
Daniel Street
21 Daniel Street
Milford, CT

8:00pm – 21+ - $12 ($10 in advance)

Buy tickets now or pick them up at Redscroll.

Harvey Milk hits Daniel Street with The Body (part 2)

Mike White

Check out part 1, on The Body, here!

Also, check out Jason's Ferocious Fucking Teeth release review here!

In this day and age of five minute careers and bands that are forgotten quicker than a person can click delete on their mouse button, the career trajectory of Athens based loud rockers Harvey Milk is kind of an anomaly. They originally formed in the early 1990’s released a bunch of really good, yet sometimes hard to find albums, and then called it a day in 1998.

But they didn’t stay dead, they reformed in 2005, and were given a heroes welcome by a bunch of underground rockers who had kept their legend through word of mouth and the internet. Yes, this is one case where the internet, actually helped extend a bands career instead of speed its demise.

“It’s something that has grown over the past 4 or 5 years. We have fun doing it, so that’s why we do it. We feel very lucky that people still care enough about us to come out and see us,” said drummer Kyle Spence. “We know really good bands that can’t even tour for two weeks.”

The band, which also, includes singer/guitarist Creston Spiers and bassist Stephen Tanner, has seen an up tick in the amount of people that have shown interest in the band. The internet has kept the band’s name alive so that people could still hear the albums they made in the 90’s before they broke up.

He also sees other things good things that came about because of the internet. Booking has become easier, even though downloading has had its effect, it hasn’t had enough of an effect to change the way they operate. It will be noted that each member of the band has day jobs and lives outside of the band.

“Let me put it this way, honestly for a band like us, it hasn’t taken that much money out of our pockets,” said Spence.

Even though Spence is a big fan of CDs, he knows those are on the way out. In fact, the band has gone the vinyl route, putting a lot of their money into making vinyl to sell at their shows. This whole thing of vinyl being on the upswing is no joke, because Spence said that people do buy it at the shows.

But before we talk too much about the economics of a touring band, let’s just say that none of this would be possible if it wasn’t for the incredible music the band puts out. Sometimes called a sludge band because of their use of slow speeds and down turned riffs, the band actually has a wide variety of influences that include noise, experimental and classic rock.

But if you talk to Spence, he’ll even have a more streamlined description of the band’s sound.

“We’re basically a blues rock band, a blues rock trio, in a way like Cream, but with a music major writing the songs,” said Spence.

That blues tag is actually quite apt, because when Spiers starts moaning, you can definitely tell he has something deep down inside of him that he needs to get out, and the bands riffs draw on the classic sounds of that genre, though dipped in tar and slowed down a bit. But that is just only one part of their, as evidence by 1997’s “The Pleaser” the band can turn it up and boogies like the best of them.

Spence said that record was a response to what was happening at the time it was released.

No where has the band’s love of the slow and low is more evident on the band’s newest release “A Small Turn Of Human Kindness”, where the band takes it love of slowing things down to the extreme, trimming all the fat off this sound. In fact, according to Spence, the band has kind of fucked itself, because they’ve taken it as far as it can go on this one, it’s like the closing of a chapter.

And who knows maybe they might even close a chapter on another aspect of their musical lives. You might want to come down to the show because you never know when they will stop doing this. Spence has this to say

“We haven’t thought it out past the next few weeks. Who knows this could be everyone’s last chance to see us. We’ll do what we feel,” said Spence.

Manic Productions Presents:

Harvey Milk
The Body
Ferocious Fucking Teeth

Tuesday, July 12
Daniel Street
21 Daniel Street, Milford, CT
8:00 pm – 21+ - $12 ($10 advance)

Vic Ruggiero (of The Slackers) Friday, Ska Fest Saturday, English Beat at Toad's, Bim Skala Bim in Hartford

Friday, July 9, 2010, Manic Productions presents:


Location:
The Space
295 Treadwell Street
Hamden CT

$10 - 7:00PM - All Ages

Directions

Buy tickets now or pick them up at Redscroll Records

Vic Ruggiero is a musician, songwriter and producer from New York City who has played in many ska bands, such as The Slackers, Stubborn All-Stars, SKAndalous All-Stars, Crazy Baldhead and The Silencers. He has also performed with punk rock band Rancid, both live and in the studio. He has released three solo acoustic albums, and has accompanied acoustic ska musician and singer Chris Murray. Asian Man Records

Chris Murray is a Canadian-born singer-songwriter and guitarist working primarily in the genre of ska. In Canada, he was a member of the now-defunct ska band King Apparatus during the late 1980s and early 1990s. He now lives in the Los Angeles, California area, where he performs regularly, both solo as well as with the Chris Murray Combo. In addition, since 2003 Murray has been organizing a weekly ska/reggae show called "The Bluebeat Lounge" which features both local and out of town artists every Wednesday at the Knitting Factory in Hollywood. Asian Man Records. Chris Murray is also opening for English Beat and Bad Manners at Toad's August 19, 2010 - see bottom of this post for more info.

The Forthrights:
Ska/rocksteady from Brooklyn. Stubborn Records

Since 2002, Tip The Van has drawn influences from rock ‘n roll, ska, pop-punk, indie rock and reggae, all the while creating their own unique sound with dual female vocals. Sisters Nicole and Simone Oliva rock audiences with their harmonious vocals while Stephanie Allen rips trombone melodies and synthesizer lines. The backbone of Tip The Van rests in the hands of the three Bryans (or Brians, depending on which one you ask) with Bryan Howard’s bass-driven rhythm supporting Bryan Briggs’ intricate drumming and Brian Dunnigan’s wailing guitar solos.

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Saturday, July 10, 2010 - All Day Ska Fest:


Location:
The Space
295 Treadwell Street
Hamden CT

$12 Advance / $14 Door - 1:00PM - All Ages

Buy tickets now



Big D And The Kids Table are a Ska / Punk / Dub band from Boston, Massachusests. - "For the past fourteen years Big D And The Kids Table have proven that regardless of fame or poverty they will forever be addicted musicians—and their latest full-length Fluent In Stroll is the apex of their decade-and-a-half long career. The best person who ever put it was [Warped Tour founder] Kevin Lyman, McWane explains. “My girlfriend once asked him if we were a big band and he replied, ‘I’ll tell you like this, they’ve been around for 14 years and each year they’re relevant.’ I think that’s a great description of what this band is all about."

Knightsbridge Fiasco is a ska/punk band from Stratford, CT. They consist of 7 members.

The Suburban Monkeys are an 8 piece ska band from Wallingford, CT.

The Waffle Stompers are a ska band from New Brunswick, New Jersey.

CbJ is a 5 piece ska-punk band from Sterling Heights, Michigan. They have shared the stage with bands like Green Room Rockers, The Toasters, Koffin Kats, The Know How and Mustard Plug.

Survay Says! is a ska/pop-punk band from New Jersey that has spent the past year and a half playing shows all over New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Connecticut having opened for such acts as Bayside, Tip the Van and more.

Johnny 9 and the Racers is a ska/pop punk band from CT.

Cyrptorchild Chipmunk is a Ska / Punk / Hardcore band from West Virginia.

The Strikeouts are a ska-core, South-Florida based band composed of 6 dudes just trying to have a good time doing what they love!

4 Point 0 is an energetic eight piece Ska-Rock band from Syracuse, NY.

The Four Shades of Black are some rad kids from Windsor, CT who love ska. We're big into having a good time, and dancin' around. We wanna see you dance too!

Heres the lineup for the day:

1:30-2:00 4 Point 0
2:15-2:45 4 Shades of Black
3:00-3:30 The Strikeouts
3:45-4:15 Johnny 9 and the Racers
4:30-5:00 Doc Rock
Break 5:00-5:45
6:00-6:30 Survay Says
6:45-7:15 CBJ
7:30-8:00 The Waffle Stompers
8:15-8:45 Suburban Monkeys
9:00-9:30 Knightsbridge Fiasco
9:45-10:15 "Secret Special Guest"
10:30-12:00 Big D and the Kids Table

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Sunday, August 8, 2010: Bim Skala Bim w/Special Guests


Location:
The Webster Underground
300 York Street
Hartford, CT

$12 Advance/Door - 7:30PM - 21+ to drink

Buy tickets now

Bim Skala Bim will be playing the Boston area this August, starting with Providence, RI on Thursday, August 5th followed by The Middle East in Cambridge and the Beachcomber in Wellfleet and then finishing Sunday the 8th in Hartford, CT at the Webster Underground.

Bim Skala Bim was one of America's initial responses to Britain's 2-Tone movement in the early '80s. Also inspired by the Clash, UB40 and Bob Marley, the group has also become one of the longest-lasting ska groups in America and has the tightest lineup. Formed in Boston in 1983 by vocalist Dan Vitale and bassist Mark Ferranti, Bim Skala Bim's lineup has been unchanged since 1989, presently including Vitale and Ferranti plus drummer Jim Arhelger, percussionist Rick Barry, keyboard player John Cameron, guitarist Jim Jones and trombonist Vincent Noble. Bim Skala Bim released a self-titled album in 1986, and appeared on the Boston ska compilation Mash It Up two years later. The group signed to Celluloid Records in 1988, but 1989's Tuba City proved to be its only Celluloid release. The band recorded and released How's It Goin'? (1990) and Bones (1991) on their own; in 1992, however, Relativity agreed to distribute their records through the group's own Bib Records (Big Indie Beat). (Subsequent albums appeared on Bib, as well as reissues of efforts going back to Tuba City.) Live at the Paradise (1993) captured Bim Skala Bim's energetic live show, and the group's sixth full-length, American Playhouse, appeared in 1995. Two years later, the group released Universal; Test Patterns followed in 1999.

-allmusic.com

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Thursday, August 19, 2010, English Beat with Bad Manners and Chris Murray:


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

$22 Advance / $25 Door - 7:00PM - All Ages

Buy tickets now

One of the earliest and most important ska revivalist groups, Birmingham's the Beat formed in 1978 (the band had to change its name to the English Beat in the U.S. to avoid confusion with Paul Collins' band of the same name). The multiracial band carved a distinct sound through the use of alternating lead vocals by guitarist Dave Wakeling and punk toaster/rapper Ranking Roger, supported by a tight band consisting of Andy Cox (guitar), David Steele (bass), and Everett Moreton (drums). The addition of 50-year-old saxophonist Saxa, who originally played with Prince Buster and Desmond Dekker, gave the band credibility and fleshed out its sound. An opening spot for the Selecter led to the band's signing to 2-Tone, where they released the hit single "Tears of a Clown," a wonderful version of the Smokey Robinson classic. In 1980, the band decided to form its own 2-Tone-inspired label, Go-Feet (distributed by Arista). A string of hit singles followed in the U.K., including "Mirror in the Bathroom." Their debut LP, I Just Can't Stop It, combined the early hits with other pop/ska-oriented material. "Stand Down Margaret," with its anti-Thatcher stance, found the band moving in a more political direction, leading to several benefit gigs for "radical" causes. Musically, the Beat slowed down the tempo for a more traditional reggae sound showcased on 1981's Wha'ppen. This direction failed to bring the chart success of its predecessor. Featuring a more pop-oriented approach, 1982's Special Beat Service helped the band increase its U.S. fan base through MTV exposure of "Save It for Later" and "I Confess," but the bandmembers decided to call it quits early the following year. Wakeling and Ranking Roger went on to form General Public, and Cox and Steele formed Fine Young Cannibals.

-allmusic.com

Bad Manners, composed of vocalist Buster Bloodvessel (born Douglas Trendle), Louis Cook (guitar), David Farren (bass), Martin Stewart (keyboards), Brian Tuitti (drums), Gus Herman (trumpet), Chris Kane (saxophone), and Andrew Marson (saxophone), were one of the many bands to take their inspiration from the Specials and the ska revival movement in England in the late '70s. They quickly became the novelty favorites of the fad through their bald, enormous-bodied frontman's silly on-stage antics, earning early exposure through 2-Tone Records package tours and an appearance in the live documentary Dance Craze. In the early '80s, they managed several U.K. hits including "Ne-Ne Na-Na Na-Na Nu-Nu," "Lip Up Fatty," "Special Brew," and "Can Can." By the mid-'80s, the ska craze was over and the band retired temporarily after the release of 1985's Mental Notes, only to return in 1989 with Return of the Ugly, remaining a live attraction despite a lack of recent hits. By the mid-'90s, a third wave ska revival renewed interest in the band. Eat the Beat was released in 1996 and Uneasy Listening followed in 1997, as well as several collections from the band's peak years.

-allmusic.com


Tour dates:
Jul 9 Stephen Talkhouse Amagansett, NY
Jul 10 Hard Rock Cafe Niagara Falls, NY
Jul 16 Romano's Concert Lounge Riverside, CA
Jul 17 Giant Orange Festival @ Orange County Great Park Irvine, CA
Jul 21 Pabst Theater- With Squeeze Milwaukee, WI
Jul 22 Minnesota Zoo Amphitheater- With Squeeze Apple Valley, MN
Jul 24 Wiens Family Cellars Temecula, CA
Jul 25Ogden Theatre- With Squeeze Denver, CO
Jul 27 Crown Nightclub at The Rio- With Squeeze Las Vegas, NV
Jul 28 Gibson Amphitheatre- With Squeeze Los Angeles, CA
Jul 30 Mountain Winery- With Squeeze Saratoga, CA
Jul 31 Uptown Theatre- With Squeeze Napa, CA
Aug 1 Fillmore- With Squeeze San Francisco, CA
Aug 7 (Private) Malibu, CA
Aug 10 The Depot-w/Bad Manners, Chris Murray Salt Lake City, UT
Aug 12 The Slowdown-w/ Bad Manners, Chris Murray Omaha, NE
Aug 13 Doube Door-w/Bad Manners,Chris Murray Chicago, IL
Aug 16 World Cafe Live-w/Bad Manners, Chris Murray Philadelphia, PA
Aug 18 Showcase Live-w/Bad Manners, Chris Murray Foxboro, MA
Aug 19 Toad's Place-w/Bad Manners, Chris Murray New Haven, CT
Aug 20 Lupo's w/Bad Manners, Chris Murray Providence, RI
Aug 22 9:30 Club-w/Bad Manners, Chris Murray Washington
Aug 24 Cat's Cradle w/ Bad Manners, Chris Murray Carrboro, NC
Aug 25 Variety Playhouse w/ Bad Manners, Chris Murray Atlanta, GA
Aug 26 Club Firestone- with Chris Murray Orlando, FL
Sep 3 Del Mar Racetrack Del Mar, CA
Sep 6 Bumbershoot Festival Seattle, WA
Oct 16 (Private) Malibu, CA
Dec 30 (Private) Malibu, CA
Feb 18, 2011(Private)Malibu, CA

Heavy Trash at Cafe Nine

Cafe Nine, Saturday, April 17th,
GO KAT GO! presents:

Heavy Trash sound like a 50s garage rock band brought into the modern era. They love Buddy Holly, don't give a fuck what you think and are completely ready to kick ass on stage. The band is made up of Jon Spencer (yes, that Jon Spencer, the man himself!) and Matt Verta-Ray. These guys are taking off from New York like a bat out of hell and headed on a humongous tour. Pretty fantastic over-gained vocals, reverby surf guitar and a ton of surprising instruments blended in. This'll be a hell of a show.

Also playing will be 420 Blackbirds from New Haven, and I have no idea what they're about. They only have two songs on their myspace, one that sounds like a bunch of drunken assholes trying to play CCR songs, and the other one sounds like a jam band. Who knows.

T-Model Ford

There ain't many left like legendary bluesman T-Model Ford. He's not even sure how old he is, but after a real tough life he started playing since the 70s and hasn't looked back. His brand of stripped-down gritty Delta blues stomp that sounds like the man lives - hard as nails. He's been putting out albums on Fat Possum for years now.

Here's his bio straight from Fat Possum's site. If this doesn't make you want to see this guy you're insane:

"T-Model's credentials are impeccable; if anything he's over qualified. He was born James Lewis Carter Ford in Forrest, a small community in Scott County, Mississippi. T-Model thinks he's seventy-five but isn't sure. He was plowing a field behind a mule on his family's farm by age eleven, and in his early teens he secured a job at a local sawmill. He excelled and was later recruited by a foreman from a bigger lumber company in the Delta, near Greenville, and eventually got promoted to truck driver. Between that and working in a log camp T-Model was sentenced to ten years on a chain-gang for murder. He lucked out and was released after serving two. He says, grinning, "I could really stomp some ass back then, stomp it good. I was a-sure-enough- dangerous man."

Well, old times here are not forgotten. T-model is constantly arguing playfully with Stella, his girlfriend, about their more violent disagreements. When asked how many times he'd been to jail, T-Model responded, "I don't know. How many?" He seemed to think it might be a trick question. Upon realizing it wasn't, he answered to the best of his ability. "Every Saturday night there for awhile."

As disheartening as this is, it's also a refreshing reminder of how ridiculous the present image of a bluesman is. Nothing could be more twisted that the romanticized and picturesque standard; and old black man devoid of anger and rage happily strumming an acoustic guitar on the back porch of his shack "in that evening sun". Three quarters of a century old, and with a dislocated hip, T-Model Ford is the only musician making his debut who could just as easily be starring in the most competitive branch of the National Wrestling Federation: The Cage Match.

Although Fat Possum makes it it's business to trod some wild paths, the wildest yet has to be the one that T-Models drummer, Spam, lives on. We stopped en route to New York City just as Spam's girlfriend walked out of the door dragging an oxygen tank and holding a cigarette in her other hand-a situation that could have been easily blown out her rib cage if not the entire block. Spam didn't care about that, though. He was worried she might snip off the tips of his fingers with a box cutter again.

Tommy Lee Miles to the authorities, Spam to his friends, he has been T-Model's A-number-one drummer for the past eight years. Sam Carr and Frank Frost, T-Model's old friends, were brought in for one session. But the guest musician's smiles gave way to scowls as T-Model's constant refrain ("T-Model Ford is going to remember you sorry fuckers how it's done") became more and more emphatic. Seconds before "Been a Long Time" was recorded, Frank Frost felt compelled to sate, "I want everyone to know that I'm now playing against my will."

T-Model and Spam are the only men still playing on Greenville's Nelson Street. Most of the audience has scattered due to violence from the crack trade, and with the exception of T-Model, the street that once boasted Booba Barnes and others is dead. On a typical night Spam and T-Model will arrive at the club and unpack T-Model's guitar and amp, and the bass drum and snare he allows Spam to use. When T-Model feels there are enough people, they start banging away in their own post-war Peavey-powered hill stomp. It's nothing unusual for T-Model to play eight hours a night. They keep going until no one's left standing. After his equipment's packed up T-Model will coat himself with Outdoorsman Off and climb into his van to crash."

T-Model Ford @ Cafe 9
Friday, Feb 26th
10pm, $12

Nathan Carpenter, Darren Deicide, The Old Man & his Po’ Buckra

Saturday, February 6, 2010:



Location:
Lil Tommy J’s Home For Lost Boys
20 Shelley St
Waterbury, CT

7:00 PM, $Donate, Potluck

Nathan Carpenter
Darren Deicide
The Old Man & his Po’ Buckra
Mutiny Amongst Friends (locals)

Freak blues from Jersey - a collision of roots and punk. Why not? Music never comes to a grinding halt, it just keeps grinding together.

tiny reviews pt. 3

Bottle Up & Go - Them Bones

NY's Bottle Up & Go is getting a lot of great press for this album - and although I admittedly wasn't that into them when I saw them open for Dead Meadow, I think the album is a lot different than they are live. It's a fun blend of open-tuning blues slide and don't-give a fuck punk screams. Released on Durham, CT's Kill Normal Records, this is cheap fix for when the whiskey runs out.

Giles Corey - self-titled

Giles Corey is the solo project of Have A Nice Life's Dan Barrett. If you're familiar with HANL, you'll be glad to hear that this album is also bleak and dark, but there's a lot of upbeat moments as well. It's still morbid, just in a slightly different way than what Enemies List has released before. I guess the best way to describe it would be black folk with prominent keyboards. The LP hasn't officially been released yet, but you can download some samples from last.fm. And it'll be available from Enemies List real soon!

Quiet Life / Widower split

I really enjoyed this 7" split by Oregon-based Quiet Life and Washington's Widower. If you're a fan of roots-rock, you'll be into these guys. If you're one of the thousands of people who like John Prine or Neil Young, I don't see why you wouldn't dig on this. They released this one through Safety Meeting, so I suppose I'm allowed to talk about it, right?

Ghost Sonata's Last - Morning After Reunion - Sub Verso Release

Friday, January 1st, 2010:

This will be The Ghost Sonata’s final Connecticut show (they are playing up in Mass on January 9th at Legion) with special guests: The Morning After (reunion show) and Sub Verso doing their CD release. More deets in the post here: CLICK

LOCATION:
Heirloom Arts Theatre
155 Main St
Danbury CT
$5 - 4:00PM - all ages

Sub Verso Album Release w/ Black Churches + Midi and the Modern Dance and more @ Heirloom Arts Theater - Jan 1st

What to do? What to do? New Year's Day and no show to go to. Welp buds, Sub Verso and a plethora of other bands are here to fix that problem. They'll be playing Heirloom Arts Theater Jan 1st to promote Sub Verso's newest album - "Within The Hour." Young guys + fresh sounds = good times with Sub Verso. Midi and the Modern Dance will also be on the bill and from what I hear, the lead singer can bring Jesus to tears. Even though this whole lineup is great if you're like me you'll be going to this for some Black Churches lovin', I mean who can hate a band with piano solos? If I had more space I would describe everyone in this stacked lineup but I don't. Folks, blues, punk or pop whatever you're looking for you'll probably find it at this show. Work off yr hangover.



Heirloom Arts Theater
January 1, 2010 mafuckas

Sub Verso
The Ghost Sonata
Black Churches
Midi and the Modern Dance
Chelce Hessler
Mother Brother
Whats Left of the Trees

Time: 4pm
Cost: $5

The Fools, A Brief View of the Hudson and Sean T. Hanratty

Thursday, December 10th - SUB ROSA PARTY PRESENTS:


Cousin Larry's
1 Elm Street
Danbury
9PM
$5 - 21+

Take a dash of Seattle, a sprinkle of Cleveland, a Canadian gale, a Texas dust storm, a native New Yorker, a slow cook on the Rutgers University soccer team, a small stint in acting school, some sweet blues, a little ruckus country, a voice that could rip a roof off, rich textual lyrics, aching melodies, several years on the New York open mic scene and the results are the beautiful melodic music of THE FOOLS the out of control freight train of A BRIEF VIEW OF THE HUDSON and the ball bustin' New York blues of SEAN T. HANRATTY.

Listen to SUB ROSA PARTY on WXCI 91.7FM Radio EVERY MONDAY from 5:30-7PM online at WXCI.ORG

Holly Golightly and the Brokeoffs

Tuesday, December 8th. 2009:


LOCATION:
Cafe Nine
250 State Street
New Haven CT

$8 - 9:00PM - 21+

DIRECTIONS: CLICK

Holly Golightly & The Brokeoffs w/ Baby G

Holly Golightly is the former member of the all-girl garage band Thee Headcoatees, the female incarnation of the Billy Childish group Thee Headcoats. For her solo career, she draws from rhythm and blues, rockabilly, and sounds of the 1960s or earlier. She has released thirteen studio albums of her own and has collaborated with other artists, such as Billy Childish and Rocket From The Crypt, and most notably The White Stripes; she is featured on the track "Well It's True That We Love One Another" from their album, Elephant.

Dead Meadow with Mountains

Dead Meadow have graciously returned to Connecticut. And that's right, Mountains joined the lineup, but you were going anyway, so this is nothing but a bonus. The Brooklyn two piece slide blues band Bottle Up & Go kicks the doors in for this roof collapsing show.

Wednesday, Sept. 16, at 8:00pm
Daniel Street, 21 Daniel Street, Milford, CT
$12 ($10 advance) / 21+

(Yeah, this is a re-post/reminder - deal with it)

Dead Meadow

Reposting this because Mountains has just been added to the Dead Meadow show on September 16. If you missed them at BAR this is your chance to see them!

Stoner rock greats Dead Meadow return to Connecticut to play Daniel Street on Wednesday, Sept. 16th. They've taken the world by storm with their loud and powerful psychedelic music. Though I've never seen them, from all counts they put on a hell of a show. It should be a mind numbingly good show.

Also on the bill is Brooklyn two piece slide blues band Bottle Up & Go. It's stripped-down pissed-up primitive blues stomp. Think of them somewhere between Two Gallants and The Black Keys, but giving much less of a fuck. They're exactly as raucous and whiskey-soaked as you think.

Wednesday, Sept. 16, at 8:00pm
Daniel Street, 21 Daniel Street, Milford, CT
$12 ($10 advance) / 21+

Gov't Mule @ Ives Concert Park

If you want to see a man turn water into wine with a guitar, this is the show for you.



Gov't Mule @Ives Concert Park
Saturday August 1st,2009
Tickets: $25 - $35
Danbury, CT