On their debut EP Noisemaker (released Dec 13 of last year), Boston band The Dirty Hit give a very nice sampling of their eclectic and far-reaching sound. There’s the noisy garage fun of “Romero” and “Back To You” (though both have melodic elements), the folky social commentary of “All Seeing Eye,” and some really nice psychedelic ambiance of “Days End” and “Bring Light,” which have little experimental touches including a a slight aroma of reggae rhythm. “Renovator,” which closes the EP, is just a nice, tight pop song. There’s something about the writing (I’m a lyrics girl, remember), the tasteful guitar licks and the delightful harmonies that makes these guys stand out. It’ll be cool to see what they do next – there’s plans for a full-length this year.

For now, you can check them out in the flesh at the Church of Boston Friday, February 3. They’ll be playing along with The Dukes of Funk, Sidecar Radio, Among Criminals and Last Call.

web | facebook | twitter | tumblr

Three of the four amazing bands to be gracing the 'stage' (such as it is) at the Lizard Lounge tonight - Black Fortress of Opium, Marc Pinansky, and The Fatal Flaw.

Black Fortress of Opium with St. Helena, The Fatal Flaw,
and Marc Pinansky (of Township) at the Lizard Lounge
Saturday, January 14, 2012
$8 | 18+ | doors at 8pm | facebook event

Here’s an absolutely ridiculous line-up of bands at the cozy little Lizard Lounge tomorrow night (or rather *tonight*, but the time I get this posted..). And speaking of my tardiness, apologies for this ‘quick and dirty’ preview, but this is seriously worthy of a mention, despite its hastiness. This may well sell out, so get there early. See you there.

Black Fortress of Opium
Gothic Americana featuring Ajda the Turkish Queen on vocals, mandolin, guitar and keyboard. Their new album Stratospherical will be out March 6. | web | facebook | bandcamp | YouTube

St. Helena
Lyrically wistful, lush and lovely, with male/female vocals and rich, full instrumentation. Their debut full-length album, Modern Tan, was released January of last year. | web | facebook | St. Helena | bandcamp | twitter

The Fatal Flaw
“For those of us who enjoy pretty pop music and a cynical, sarcastic world view.” (I’m quoting myself). I’ve been wanting to see these guys since catching the very end of their set on a chilly Boston Common, New Year’s 2011. Took me a friggin’ year. | web | facebook | bandcamp

Marc Pinansky (Township)
Lead vocalist and guitarist for the band Township, in a (somewhat) rare solo acoustic performance. | facebook | bandcamp | blog | twitter

Take Note! If you’re doing First Night, they’ll be bringing their “posse” once again to the Hynes Convention Center, 900 Boylston Street, starting at 7:30 and going until 11pm.

The BOSTON HASSLE Playbutton

BOSTON HASSLE Underground Music Compilation Playbutton Release Party
featuring: Debo Band, Fat History Month, Creaturos, The Needy Visions, Saralee, Ming Ming, Exusamwa, and Kid Romance
Great Scott – Sunday, December 11 (tonight)
9pm | 18+ | $5 – $10 sliding scale

If you’re sitting there thinking, “how can I be so much cooler than everyone else around me, so that my Boston music scene street cred is forever secured?” , you need to know about this awesome new music compilation. It is in honor of the Boston underground music scene, fearlessly supported by the folks at Body Of Water (B.O.W.) and Boston Compass, who regularly promote shows within a wide range of ‘outside the mainstream’ genres in alternative venues. For this unusual new release, they’ve partnered with The Boston Hassle, a music blog and events guide that specializes in “Psych, punk, weird, pop, electronic, experimental, and awesome music… high and low brow smashed to pieces and forever mixed together.” Attention hipsters: you can now (quite literally) wear your love of underground music on your sleeve.

BOSTON HASSLE features 13 tracks from Saralee, Exusamwa, Doomstar, Needy Visions, Kid Romance, Ming Ming, Debo Band and others. It is being released by Bodies of Water Arts and Crafts (the record label of show promoters B.O.W.), who’ve also put out albums for Tunnel of Love, Mittens, Bezoar, Hats and Glases, and the Mules.

What makes this compilation even more exotic is that it’s being released on a brand new format – the 3” wearable Playbutton, for a wicked reasonable price of $10. Yes, it’s as cool as it sounds. Put on your button, plug in your headphones, and press play. How great is that?

BOSTON HASSLE’s “Button Release Party” is this Sunday (December 11) at Great Scott, with sets from eight of the fascinating bands featured on the compilation. This will be followed by a northeast and midwest tour in the winter of 2011/2012. There will be all sorts of sounds this evening, from psychedelic garage to fuzzy surf and dreamy pop, funk and dark-tinged dance to bizarre experimental, and Ethiopian pop music from Debo Band.

Can’t make it to the show? Get yourself the BOSTON HASSLE Playbutton now!

BOSTON HASSLE tracklisting:
1.Saralee – Soft Sounds
2.Pile – Pigeon Song
3.Exusamwa – Button
4.Doomstar – I Don’t Understand
5.Needy Visions – Kinda But Not Really
6.Fat History Month – Nudity
7.Big Digits – Black Sweatshirts
8.Kid Romance – Jimnicluc
9.Cuffs – Albert Kroft
10.Skimask – Fine China
11.Kal Marks – Not Afraid To Die
12.Ming Ming – Sez
13.Debo Band – Addis Ababa Bete

Boston Hassle: official site | facebook | twitter
Body of Water Shows & Blog: official site
Boston Counter Culture Compass: official site

One of the auction items, Boston Bundle Two, features The Dirty Dishes CD (signed), The Michael J. Epstein Memorial Library Vol 1 CD (signed) with sticker, Sodafrog 'Hang the Moon' CD and bonus Marc Pinansky sticker.

In the holiday spirit of giving to those less fortunate, Sleepover Shows, the people who bring you stripped down, acoustic sets in curious locales by your favorite bands as they come through Boston, have put together a very special auction, all profits to benefit The Greater Boston Food Bank.

Apart from the wonderful cause, what makes this auction so cool is that they’re offering up a load of signed band merch from many of the bands they’ve filmed over the last year. This includes posters, vinyl, set lists, shirts, cds, by well-loved artists such as Frightened Rabbit, Pearl and the Beard, Chris Bathgate, Walter Sickert and the Army of Broken Toys (a poster of their show with Zoë Keating), The Michael J. Epstein Memorial Library, The Motion Sick, Marc Pinansky, Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling, The David Wax Museum, Marco Benevento, Marisa Nadler, Mean Creek, and many more.

Each item’s photo on the Charity Auction site links to its eBay page, with auctions ending on Wednesday, December 14, so BID NOW! There are a few cool Boston music bundles up there as well, so check ‘em out.

Visit Sleepover Shows to see their latest sessions, and starting next week, a series of six Boston bands performing original songs, each band naming a charity for people to donate to this holiday season.

Sleepover Shows: official site | facebook | twitter

Have a listen, and then download the 5-track EP from his website.

The Lowbred Watts will be performing at McGann’s Pub tomorrow night, during a fine evening of folk, Americana and country-blues (see set times above). It seems like a well-thought-out lineup of kindred spirits, presented by F Nice Records, who handle all of the live music at McGann’s, and who regularly offer discounted tickets for these shows on their site. F Nice is an indie music company that offers merchandising, show bookings and promotion, rehearsal space, production and distribution, in service to local musicians. “F Nice is here to reclaim the local music scene from those who let it down.” Amen.

Black Ocean and Walter Sickert PROUDLY present PANDORA’s BOX
2 Nights of ART and Mayhem @ the Church of Boston
Friday 11/18 and Saturday 11/19
doors 8pm, 21+ | Buy Tickets ($10/advance; $12/day of show each night. $16 for a Golden Ticket Two Day Pass (comes with a FREE exclusive, UNRELEASED song – download card to be picked up at the venue)
::: Preview Trailer :::

If you’re beginning to feel the pull of holiday season psychosis, and would like to be yanked straight off the edge, might I suggest beginning your silly season in the company of Walter Sickert & his Posse of Perverted Elves (with special guests). Different sets, costumes and vibe each night. Leave your inhibitions at the door, take a deep breath, and step into the welcoming abyss.

Night One ~ A Chimpwork Orange!

Church of Boston will be transformed into the Korova Milk Bar for A Chimpwork Orange: Art, music and stage show inspired by Anthony Burgess and our love of monkeys!

Featuring:

Walter Sickert & the ARmy of BRoken DRoogs

Somerville Symphony Orkestar

Outrageous Banjo

Readings by the authors of Black Ocean Press

AND sneak previews of The Slutcracker by Babes in Boinkland

Night Two ~ BatMan & The Chocolate Factory

Join us for Wonka’s Factory of BRoken TOys as we turn Church of Boston into a super-villainous-sugar-fueled dream inspired by Roald Dahl and our love of comic books!

Featuring:

Walter Sickert & the ARmy of BRoken OOmpa LOompas

Bury Me Standing

James McAndrew (of Milquetoast & Co.)

Readings by the authors of Black Ocean Press

AND sneak previews of The Slutcracker by Babes in Boinkland

ALSO – EXCLUSIVE art by Walter Sickert will be available in handy postcard size for your purchasing pleasure. Many have been clambering for the opportunity to own a piece of Chimpwork Orange, and NOW is your chance!

(clockwise from top left): Jaggery (Noah Blumenson-Cook), BENT KNEE, Lainey SchoolTree (Caleb Cole), and Sound of Venus (http://www.jenniferbmorgan.com).

Coloring Party with Sounds of Venus, SchoolTree, Jaggery, BENT KNEE @ the Middle East Upstairs
Thursday, November 17, 2011
9pm doors | 18+ | $10 | facebook event | tickets

Sounds of Venus, SchoolTree, Jaggery, and BENT KNEE cordially invite you to their Coloring Party. For one night only, the Middle East Upstairs is transformed into an interactive art space. Draw while you listen; let the music inspire you to artistic heights (or depths). Bring crayons, pens, pencils, pastels, oils, acrylics, calligraphy sets, stone tablets, etch-a-sketches, play-dough, paper, etc. ~ additional art supplies will be provided.

Sounds of Venus

Dreamy, ambient soundscapes with a driving rhythm, searing guitar, and male/female vocals that weave in and out and through each other.

facebook | twitter | youtube | bandcamp

SchoolTree

Pop diva has head-on collision with a ’70s prog rock band and a Broadway musical. Rather peculiar but quite lovely baby is born.

official site | facebook | twitter | youtube | bandcamp

Jaggery

Flowing, galloping, mystical, elegant orchestral majesty, with Singer Mali casting her vocal magic. Yes, I’ve written about this band a few times, and I’m running out of superlatives. For those not previously acquainted, they’re really f’ing good.

official site | facebook | twitter | youtube | bandcamp

BENT KNEE

Shrieking, shredding, sinister, hypnotic, mentally unstable, happy little fairy tales for psychotic children. Not for the timid. This particular set should inspire some very strange drawings.

official site | facebook | twitter | youtube | bandcamp

Plus live artist Kristilyn Stevens.

Local musician, multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter and author Audrey Ryan will be celebrating the release of her book, “The Need to be Heard”, with performance and book readings tomorrow night at the Clarendon Hill Presbyterian Church in Somerville. Joining her will be author/artist/musician Dylan Metrano (Tiger Saw) and songwriter/performer/landscaper Guy Capecelatro III.

Some of you may be familiar with Audrey’s wonderful “one-woman-band” shows (electric guitar, accordion, ukulele, banjo, vibraphone, glockenspeil, drums, looping) and her warm, personable storytelling style. Her latest release is Thick Skin.

official site | facebook | bandcamp