Chip's Unnamed Local Band Show

Do you guys watch The CT? They've just started running Chip's Unnamed Local Band Show, a 30 minute monthly show focusing on local, original music from in and around Connecticut. This guy will talk about anything, so long as it's local - he's fighting the good fight. The other day, they ran a special on Safety Meeting Records, including an sweet interview with Titles, a broadcast of the fantastic "When You Were Young" video and an exclusive peek at a new M.T. Bearington video for "When We Climb" off their upcoming record Love Buttons. He also interviews blues legend Rocky Lawrence. Since it's only the first episode, I expect to see a lot more good things happening as time goes on. You can get ahold of them and follow them on facebook here.

If you missed it, you can check the first episode here:

The Field Recordings at The Space

Tomorrow night at The Space in Hamden, you can catch local favorites The Field Recordings playing a show with four other bands from all over the place. Here's the lineup:

The Field Recordings - garage rock/post-punk band from CT. We talk about these guys all the time, so I don't think an intro is necessary. They play all over the place, hell, they've even played my damn house. Here's what you want to hear:



The Framecell are a self-described "ambient/pop/shoegaze" band from New Britain, CT, but they sound way more like a straightforward rock band to me with just a kiss of the jagged guitar fuzz that I want to hear anytime someone says shoegaze.

The Morning on Fire - are from San Diego, and mix up post-rock guitar tones with growly vocals that totally have an Isaac Brock thing going on. Not what I wasn't expecting from their band name, but I'm really pleasantly surprised.

Stamps the Goat - before checking out their website I knew nothing about them, but they're from Manchester and do some fun lo-fi powerpop. They're clearly enamored with late 60s britpop, but when was that ever a bad thing? I'm interested to see how they'll sound live.

Eolune hail from Boston, and mix complex guitar-work with electronics, and super-clean drumming.

8/5/10
Doors open at 6:30 PM – $10

Show Review: Arab on Radar @ Cafe Nine

During the Providence noise scene’s creation in the mid-90s, one of the most rousing predecessors was Arab on Radar. 8 years after their 2002 hiatus, Arab on Radar ended their first reunion tour close to home at CT’s Café Nine. Although a few members of the 21+ crowd were likely too young to have listened to noise music when Arab began, it seemed as though no time had elapsed between the members or the music. Even the presence of a younger crowd proved that Arab on Radar’s music has held its place in the noise scene and continually wins over new fans. Lead vocalist Eric Paul even snarled, “The only difference between 2010 and 2001 is 4 guys…. you have no idea what I’m talking about, do you!? Ha HA!” The four piece was decked in matching blue jump suits and lit from below causing a haunting surreal look that matched their dysfunctional music, while Eric Paul’s sneering voice complemented the abrasive noise punk, especially on the crowd favorite, ‘Birth Control Blues.’

Brava Spectre from CT was direct support, playing for 30 minutes nonstop of what seemed to be one single maelstrom of repeated rifts and technical chaos, but was essentially 3 separate songs. Bookending the set were the 2 songs off their new 7” record, which was unofficially released at the show. In the middle was ‘By the Lust…’, a favorite of Eric Paul’s. The 7” can now be downloaded for FREE here.

Brothers & Sisters - Aeroplane

Some time ago, I heard a demo tape by some band called Brothers & Sisters. It blew me away. Since hearing that, I've been dying to hear this EP when it came out. It was worth the wait.

For those of you who are looking for heavier indie rock, who are sick of all these trendy overly cute bands that are cropping up all over the place, this is for you.

If you just need something that has a pair and isn't afraid to kick it once in a while, this is for you.

If you were wondering when someone would come around that actually like Hüsker Dü and Mission of Burma as much as you do and don't just give slight nods in that direction, this if for you.

If you're the kind of guy who drives a matte black muscle car 90 mph through a school zone, this is for you.

You can stream the EP and snag it at their bandcamp site below:



Now, Brothers & Sisters haven't been around very long, and most people haven't really heard of them yet, but that will soon change as they continue to pound the pavement on the scene. They were formed in late 2009 by Greg Conte, Chris Grosso & Dan Gorman. They're clearly playing to an older set of rules, music to please themselves without really the slightest thought about what anyone thinks of them. It all works to their advantage, and the end result is a loud, unflinching display of musicianship and lo-fi punk stomp. Seriously, these guys really know how to rip it up.

The recording quality and production value is also really fantastic, something that can be attributed to Chuck Hestons/Death to New England's own Joe Reed, who did all the recording in New London. The songs are really dense and have many, many layers to them, which really works out nicely to round out the sound of the 3-piece.

Anyway, enough talk, I'll let the music speak for itself, hopefully you guys will love this as much as I do.

Show Review: The Black Noise Scam, The Boardlords, Nasty Disaster @ Rudy's (Last Show)

This past Saturday, July 31st, famed downtown bar and venue, Rudy's, closed its Elm Street location forever with a blowout punk and metal show featuring The Black Noise Scam, The Boardlords and Nasty Disaster.


Part of the massive crowd in attendance for Rudy's last night of operation at its Elm Street location. The bar/venue will be re-opening on Chapel Street by October. Photo by Bob Rock.

It was clear upon arrival at the bar, which had been located at 372 Elm Street since 1934, that this was not going to be just another of its regular Saturday night shows. At 9:30pm the crowd had already filled the sidewalk patio and the main bar area, an occurrence that usually does not happen until much later in the night. And aside from the crowds and beer signs in the windows, Rudy's itself had already begun its physical transformation from favored townie/Yale bar to...something else. Gone were the multitude of framed photographs that filled every possible inch of the walls as well as pretty much every other piece of decor, save the black tile ceiling, that were Rudy's signature. Even the bar's wood paneling, carved up by the bars' many patron of the years, was gone. In the main room this removal revealed a hidden painting (which looked like something straight out of the artwork for Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness) while elsewhere all that was left was bare sheet rock (which had already been subject to extensive graffiti, a trend that continued most of the night). Outside of the stage area, the band room was the most transformed, its usual set up of tables and chairs removed in favor of a wide-open, standing-room-only space (a setup that would have worked well at past shows too). All in all, the venue looked a shell of its former self.


Nasty Disaster at Rudy's last show. Photo by Jamie Arabolos.

As 10pm closed in, the band room quickly filled in anticipation of Nasty Disaster, a New Haven metal band I heard a lot about but had never gotten the chance to see. From the beginning of their set, it was obvious that these guys did not take themselves seriously (I mean with a name like Nasty Disaster, who could?). 6 foot plus singer 'Herman VonRuhl' was dressed in a stringy blond wig and enough metal spikes to accidentally stab himself to death if he wasn't careful. Most prominently displayed though was his shirt which read 'Death to False Metal,' an ideology that seemed central to the band's schtick. The remainder of the quintet was decked out in array of cliche metal fatigues (leather, viking hat) that, coupled with their imposing physical presence, lent itself well to the over-the-top subject matter of their songs (this aspect of the band in particular reminded me of another local metal band, Garbage Barge, who couple metal with off-the-wall lyrics and stage costume). How over the top you ask? Well, I'm pretty sure that every song the band performed made a least some lyrical reference to 'metal' (a suspicion that I later confirmed after visiting the band's website). Two of the more memorable tunes, 'Sluts of Metal' and 'Play Some Fuckin' Metal,' contained the choruses "Sluts of metal (sluts!), whores of rock 'n roll (whores!), sluts of metal (sluts!), come ride my iron pole (pole!)" and "play some fuckin' metal, play it really loud, play some fuckin' metal, rock you to the ground," respectfully. Yeah, you get the idea. While a vast majority of the crowd were really into the band (fist pumping! stage diving!), others were less than enthused by the band's vulgarity and/or lack of seriousness, heading for the outside patio instead. Regardless of what everyone thought of the band, their energy (and the crowd's response) started off the evening well.


The Boardlords at Rudy's last show. Photo by Jamie Arabolos.

After a brief interlude, New York-based punk quintet The Boardlords took the stage. By this point the band room crowd had dwindled slightly although this worked in the band's favor as a member of the crowd (and later the Boardlords' singer) had room to skateboard inside(!) Rudy's during the band's set (surely something I never thought I would see). The band itself was tight and possessed a better command of their instruments than most punk bands I've seen lately. What the band lacked in stage presence (at least in comparison to the other bands on the bill), they made up for in sheer musical attack. The rhythm section in particular was locked in throughout most of the set and really made the band's songs come to life. The band's twin guitar attack also helped give the band a heft that helped their live sound immensely. After a Suicidal Tendencies cover and a slew of originals, the band exited the stage amid the shards of a broken skateboard and the prominent smell of Sharpie markers, setting the stage for the final band of the night, the Black Noise Scam.


The Black Noise Scam at Rudy's last show. Photo by Bob Rock.

By the time New Haven's the Black Noise Scam took the stage sometime after midnight, the crowd size at Rudy's was at critical mass. The band room in particular was the most crowded of the night, even eclipsing the attendance for Nasty Disaster. Seizing the opportunity, the quartet wasted no time in launching into their high-energy brand of hardcore punk (I mean, what other kind is there?). Singer Jeffrey Thunders in particular, with his seemingly endless amount of energy and stage presence, whipped the crowd into a fury. It seemed to me that, throughout the night, everyone had been waiting for the opportunity to let loose, and that the Black Noise Scam finally gave them that chance. One after another, the band air-punched their way through a series of blistering originals including one appropriately titled 'Never Again.' A full-on mosh developed at varying points throughout the band's set, the crowd ebbing and flowing along to the band, and the band seemingly doing the same. The energy inside began to spill outside onto the patio as multiple drinks were thrown against the windows behind the stage (this after much chiding from Thunders for people to come inside). Following a Black Flag cover and more originals, the band ended their set in a mangle of drums and wires barreled over by drummer Chris Taylor. In that moment, Rudy's last show came to a crashing end.


Rudy's aftermath. Photo by Jamie Arabolos.

As the night wore on, the reality of Rudy's pending closure and move to Chapel Street became increasingly clear on the faces of the people sticking it out to last call. Some seemed dazed, either from excess of alcohol or emotion or moshing while others let their tears flow freely, in a remembrance of a place and time never to be repeated again. Still more remained defiant, all the way until that final shout of last call, all the way until being forced out onto the sidewalk, all the way until being forced off of the sidewalk by NHPD, and ultimately all the way into being forced away from a place, and now a memory, held close by so many.

Earthride, Valkyrie, Black Pyramid, Nightbitch

Friday, August 6 2010, Manic Productions presents


Location:
Cherry Street Station
491 N. Cherry St Ext
Wallingford CT

$8 - 8:00PM - 21+

Directions

Buy tickets now or pick them up at Redscroll Records.


Earthride are a another incredible band from the Doom Capitol/ Maryland, the fertile breeding ground that has spawned Pentagram, Internal Void, Wretched, Iron Man, Unorthodox, and of course Spirit Caravan. In fact, there's connections to some of these bands, drummer Eric Little was in Internal Void, and singer Dave Sherman was in Wretched and also played bass in Spirit Caravan (along with sharing vocal duties with guitar god, Wino).
Southern Lord



Driven by brothers Jake and Pete Adams, Valkyrie draws from pre-metal style to create a rich and earthy heavy rock sound. They formed in summer 2002 in Rockbridge County, Va. Pete Adams is now also a guitarist for the band Baroness
Meteor City Records



Black Pyramid play doom with the rumbling down-tuned tones of stoner metal gods like Sleep, Electric Wizard, and High On Fire, but with the epic arrangements of old school metal and doom acts such as Black Sabbath, Pentagram, and The Obsessed. Add to the sonic brew perfectly executed forays into vintage psych and progressive rock, along with the apocalyptic lyrical ravings about war, the occult, and general alienation, and you've got an accurate picture of what the band is all about. Prepare to be crushed by the weight of the Black Pyramid...
Meteor City Records



Nightbitch: Sleazy rock-n-roll from CT featuring members of Hour of 13, Ipsissimus, and De Omega. Check out Tom P.'s Nightbitch feature.

Earthride tour dates:
Aug 2 2010 The bug jar Rochester, New York
Aug 3 2010 The elevens Northhampton, MA
Aug 4 2010 Great Scott's Allston, MA
Aug 5 2010 The 201 Providence, RI
Aug 6 2010 Cherry street Station Wallingford, CT
Aug 7 2010 Ace of Clubs NYC

Meet Nightbitch, bitches!

~all photos above and below from rev. aaron michael pepelis

Sure the new Danzig record is better than expected, but if you really want a dose of some sleazy hard rock action, you should look a little closer to home, look to Connecticut's own Nightbitch.
Their mission is simple.
"We have a manifesto for this band, which is wicked women, unholy passion and fire nights," said guitarist Ryan Adams.
What, you may ask, is a fire night? According to Adams it's a night of crazed rock'n'roll debauchery, one where you drop all inhibitions and go crazy like your life depended on it. You can dress any way you like.
"If any of us owned a pair of leather pants, we would wear them to a fire night," said Adams.
So leather pants, or no pants, Nightbitch delivers the goods. They merge the best of traditional metal and hard rock and combine it with the sweaty hip thrust of the first few Danzig records.
The band formed about a year ago when Adams, who also plays in recently signed to Metal Blade black metallers Ipsissimus, was looking to start another project, one that combined his love of classic metal and hard rock. First he needed a strong vocalist. A mutual friend introduced him to powerhouse vocalist Phil Swanson, of critically acclaimed underground metal duo Hour Of 13. Swanson liked what he heard and the band which also includes Chris Taylor on drums and Mark Eles on bass, was formed.
But first they needed a name, on that would fit the band's musical and aesthetic outlook. You would think this would be the hard part, but it was actually easier than expected.
"We wanted to come up with the sleaziest name we could. One that would fit the music and concept of the band. One of us just blurted out the name at practice and we all said, 'That's it'," said Adams.
They have a demo out and it's filled with tales of sex and magic, werewolves copulating and even ritual masturbation. It's all very lurid, very virile and very awesome.
They plan to release the demo as a cassette through the No Visible Scars label in August. There will two versions of it. The standard edition will include a pin, a sticker as well as an insert, while the special edition will feature all the above goodies, but will be wrapped in leather and stamped with a sigil.
Adams said releasing it on cassette is good way to weed out the true from the false out there, plus it's a cool way to present the music, one that fits well with the band's aesthetic.
There will also be a vinyl version of it available in October, released through Iron Age vocalist's Jason Tarpey's Cyclopean Records.
On the live the front, the band has played a few local shows and even opened for Pentagram, but come September, they take Nightbitch international, as they travel to Dublin, Ireland, to be part of the Dublin Doom Day, an international fest of doom metal bands.
For the actual show, they will be backing Swanson for an Hour Of 13 set, but the night before the show, they will get a chance to spread the Nightbitch gospel as they play a pre-show gig as a warm up.
All this attention is all good to Adams, who is pleasantly surprised at how far the band has gone in such a short time, especially a band with such modest, yet praiseworthy goals.
"We just want to bring a sleazy swagger to Connecticut," said Adams.
Well, amen to that. So break out your leathers for a fire night, because Nightbitch is coming, or is that...err, cumming your way. Lock up your daughters.

Preview some tracks!