Category: Show Previews Page 4 of 20

Introducing Hands (from Los Angeles) ~ Synesthesia & tour

On May 31, 2013

photo courtesy of David Morrison

Looks like we’ll be on a little “Eastside L.A. kick” for a few days. Hands actually began in Philadelphia with Geoff Halliday on vocals and keyboards and Ryan Sweeney on guitar, but then migrated to Silver Lake, where Sean Hess (drums) and Alex Staniloff (bass) joined them and all apparently partook of those mystical underground spring waters that make bands in this particular neighborhood of Los Angeles really, really good. This is exuberant synth pop that wouldn’t be unwelcome by fans of Passion Pit, Foster the People — or the 1980s, for that matter. This is some good bouncy stuff for moving around to in a sweaty club.

Although they only just became a band last year, they’ve already played at SXSW, CMJ and DeLuna Fest, and have had some considerable mainstream media attention. This includes ABC News’ “7 Emerging Artists On The Rise,” The Guardian’s “New Band Of The Day” and Time Magazine’s list of “11 bands you don’t know (but should).” Last month, they released their debut full-length, Synesthesia on Kill Rock Stars.

One stand-out track for me is “Brave Motion,” which also comes with a pretty awesome video. Check it out. They’ll be stopping off in Boston (Allston) at Great Scott on Tuesday night. See their East Coast tour dates below.

And speaking of Passion Pit, living in the Boston area as I am, I would be remiss in not including Hands’ remix of Passion Pit’s “It’s Not My Fault.” So here it is.

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/88489375″ params=”” width=” 100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Upcoming Shows

6/1 New York City, NY @ Glasslands
6/2 Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie Doors @ 8pm
6/3 New York City, NY @ Pianos Doors @ 7:45pm
6/4 Allston, MA @ Great Scott Doors @ 9pm
6/5 Montreal, QC, Canada @ Il Motore Doors @ 8:30pm
6/6 Toronto, ON, Cananda @ The Drake Hotel Doors @ 8pm
6/7 Pittsburgh, PA @ 6119 Penn Avenue
From there, it’s on to the Midwest and West Coast. For their complete schedule, see their website

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The Bats – Spring 2013 U.S. Tour!

By julie

On May 29, 2013

In Gigs, Indie Music, Show Previews

Heads up, New Zealand Flying Nun indie pop fans! We have a real treat coming right up on the horizon. Direct from Christchurch, The Bats are here for a 12-date tour across the U.S., stopping off in Boston at the cozy Great Scott this Sunday (June 2). Not only are The Bats one of the legendary bands from back in those heady ’80s. Along with bands like The Clean, The Chills and The Verlaines, they defined that classic “Flying Nun sound” — pretty, chiming, jangly guitar-based pop music that dances happily around positively dismal lyrics. Love it.

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Boston Calling ~ May 25 & 26 ~ welcome to the city’s first rock festival!

By julie

On May 17, 2013

In Boston Bands, Boston-area news, Music News, Show Previews

Boston Calling
City Hall Plaza, Boston
May 25 & 26, 2013
::: buy tickets :::
(VIP tix only)

Saturday, May 25

Fun. ~ The Shins ~ Marina and the Diamonds ~ Matt and Kim ~ Portugal. The Man ~ Cults ~ Ms Mr ~ Bad Rabbits ~ St. Lucia

Sunday, May 26

The National ~ Of Monsters and Men ~ Young the Giant ~ Andrew Bird ~ Dirty Projectors ~ Ra Ra Riot ~ The Walkmen ~ Youth Lagoon ~ Caspian

So I would be remiss in not acknowledging and commemorating the City of Boston’s very first music festival. Boston Calling is a 2-day extravaganza being held May 25 & 26 at City Hall Plaza, right in the center of Boston. For anyone who attended WFNX’s ‘Best Music Poll’ show back in 2009, this is a really cool location for live music. They also happen to have a pretty stellar line-up, no doubt due to the involvement of the National’s Aaron Dessner, who helped to curate. There are two local bands on the bill as well (which doesn’t always happen at these sorts of things — instrumental group Caspian (from Beverly) and Bad Rabbits (from Boston).

Unfortunately, after I’ve just hyped it like that, regular tickets and passes are completely sold out. However, if you’re well-heeled and enjoy the ‘Rock Star Treatment,’ you can still get single day or weekend VIP passes, which include your own entrance, VIP lounge access, food and a private bar, private restrooms and some festival swag. See the line-up below and check out a few of the featured artists performing. Happy Festival, Boston!

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Nightmare Air Return to Boston (well, Somerville actually)

By julie

On May 5, 2013

In Indie Music, Show Previews

Ah, the ups and downs and overall strangeness of being in an indie rock band. One day, it’s supporting The Airborne Toxic Event in big sold out love fests and the next, it’s a hard slog middle slot at the living room-sized P.A.’s Lounge in that hipster enclave, Somerville. Actually, I think P.A.’s knocked a wall down recently, so make that a large living room. If you need to have your face melted with a densely layered psychedelic-tinged full-on noise party, Nightmare Air can most definitely help you out.

They released their debut album back in March, and have some East Coast and West Coast dates planned for this month. Go see them. At P.A.’s they’re listed as second band up after Joe Turner & the Seven Levels. Tennis System is headlining. For now, turn up the volume on the video below, and imagine what this will sound like in a small room. Yowsa.

5/8 — PA’s Lounge — Somerville, MA — w/ Tennis System (L.A.), Heaven (NYC) and Joe Turner & the Seven Levels
5/9 — Shea Stadium — New York, NY — w/ Tennis System and Dead Leaf Echo
5/10 — Union Pool — New York, NY — w/ Tennis System and Heaven
5/13 — The Barbary — Philadelphia, PA — w/ Tennis System
5/15 — On the Rox (The Roxy) — Los Angeles, CA
5/20 — The Echo — Los Angeles, CA — w/ Torches (residency)
5/30 — Silverlake Lounge — Los Angeles, CA — w/ United Ghosts (residency)
6/14 — Toronto, Canada — NXNE Festival

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Nightmare Air Debut Album & Tour!

By julie

On March 26, 2013

In Indie Music, Show Previews

IMPORTANT: SHOWS AFTER 3/29 DURHAM, NH HAVE BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO AN IMPENDING AIRBORNE TOXIC EVENT (TOUR) (congratulations guys!)

A noisy and beautiful psychedelic assault comes to Allston tomorrow night.

Nightmare Air is a band I’ve written about before in musings, as part of my annual Eastside L.A. Roundups. They’re noisy, spacey, psychedelic, powerful, and they just released their debut album, High In The Lasers. It’s an otherworldly adventure from Dave Dupuis (guitar, vocals) and Swaan Miller (bass, vocals). Both have a rich history in L.A. bands—Dave is in the band Film School, and Swaan put out an acoustic album in 2003, later released on Important Records. Jimmy Lucido joins them on drums for a full sonic assault and a wall of glorious space and distortion. Vocals veer from ethereal to paint-peeling, and the effect is hallucinatory. It was mixed by Dave Schiffman (Nine Inch Nails, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Mars Volta) and mastered by Howie Weinberg (Nirvana, Sonic Youth, The White Stripes). They’re currently on tour across the U.S., about midway through (having just performed sold out shows in Cali with The Wedding Present and with fellow L.A. Eastsiders The Happy Hollows. Next up are visits to Boston, Brooklyn, New Hampshire, Maine, the Midwest and Denver, beginning tomorrow night at Great Scott in Allston.

They began back in 2008 after a Film School tour, releasing their debut EP in 2009 and touring the U.S. and Canada in support of it. They pulled off quite a feat last year for a little indie band, embarking on a 3-1/2 month, 9-country world tour with no label and no booking agency, and even before their debut album. Happily, they now have a label—two, in fact. Their debut is available from Vinyl Junkie in Japan (with alternate artwork and bonus tracks), and Saint Marie Records everywhere else. Shake off those winter cobwebs in a major way, and go see them live if you can.

web | facebook | twitter | YouTube | Filter Magazine interview (Nov. 2012)

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Mary Alouette brings gypsy jazz with a dose of electronica to the Cantab Thursday night

By julie

On March 16, 2013

In Indie Music, Show Previews

Next Thursday (March 21), Cantab Lounge (d.b.a. Club Bohemia) will experience a metamorphosis, turning into a gypsy jazz club of the 1930s, though with a distinctively modern twist. NYC-based Mary Alouette brings her band into town to celebrate the release of her new EP, The Lark. It follows her 2012 debut, Midas. If this were just a sassy jazz album with dazzling classical/gypsy guitar picking and a sultry and passionate vocalist, it would be wonderful. However, there’s something quite unexpected added into the mix on the new songs—a love of electronica.

Her passion for synths, beats, loop pedals and drum machines seems a bit strange when you consider her degree in opera and classical training as a vocalist. She merges all this with the gypsy guitar style of Django Reinhardt to create something quite magical. Her new album, recorded at ishlab studio in Brooklyn, is due out this month. It features an eclectic array of intrumentation—acoustic and Moog electric guitars, Moog Voyager synthesizer, loop pedals and drum machines and double bass— blending the boundaries between dance music, gypsy jazz and dreamy pop. Alouette regularly performs her gypsy jazz repertoire, and also works as a multi-instrumentalist, composer and assistant producer at ishlab, working with Daniel Lynas (A$AP Rocky, Das Racist, Neon Hitch, Skrillex). She’ll be performing with her band on Thursday night at 11pm at the Cantab’s downstairs stage.

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Schooltree revisits the ’70s with their rock opera “Rise” – record release party Friday night!

By julie

On March 13, 2013

In Boston Bands, Indie Music, Show Previews

Schooltree Record Release
w/ Count Zero and WANTON REVELRY
Friday, March 15th @ the Lizard Lounge
8:30 doors, 9pm show | 21+, $10 cover
::: BUY TICKETS ::: | facebook event

This is going to be a very special event to celebrate the release of Rise, a modern take on the 1970s rock opera, very convincingly masterminded by the inimitable Lainey Schooltree Steamy Bohemians, Jerkus Circus, Bent Wit Cabaret).

I don’t think just anyone could have pulled this off. Lainey is the prog rock queen of modern times, with her Broadway musical vocals and theatrical cabaret presentation. You only have to know that she’s a fan of both Queen and Steven Sondheim to understand this completely.

On Rise, this musical journey is nothing short of epic and while strongly recalling the piano driven orchestral drama, screaming rock god guitar, vocal histrionics and sweeping harmonies of what was a proud art form of the time, it is also imbued with a contemporary feel. This isn’t just parody (though it did put a big smile on my face upon first hearing). No, it’s an honest depiction of present day struggles through the looking glass of the past, with a strong sense of reverence. As for the doom and gloom subject matter, the breakdown of society, feelings of alienation and loss, hope and salvation… well, all that’s eternal, isn’t it?

I’m unable to share anything off the new album with you (you’ll have to go to the Lizard Lounge on Friday night for that), but if you’re unfamiliar with Schooltree, have a listen below to a performance of “Everyman” from the Lizard Lounge back in February of last year.

This isn’t just any run-of-the-mill record release with any old backing bands either. “Wanton Revelry” isn’t the name of a new Allston punk band; it’s billed as “bombastic burlesque, sexy satyrs, olympian comedy, devastating elegance!” If you’ve been to any Schooltree performances in the past, especially Bent Wit Cabaret events, you will definitely recognize at least a few of these names… UnAmerika’s Sweetheart Karin Webb, Femme Bones, Lolli Hoops, Jade Sylvan, and there will be other special guests as well. Count Zero will close out the evening’s festivities, performing their first full show in almost a year. Definitely something you won’t want to miss.

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Introducing… Jacco Gardner (at the Middle East Sunday night 3/3)

By julie

On February 27, 2013

In Indie Music, Show Previews

Jacco Gardner with MMOSS, Quilt and The Ocular Audio Experiment
at The Middle East (Upstairs)
presented by The Middle East and Boston Hassle
Sunday, March 3, 2013 – 8pm doors
18+ | $10 advance, $12 day of show | ::: tickets :::
facebook event

Oooh, psychedelic! It’s Jacco Gardner, a Dutch multi-instrumentalist, and it’s difficult to believe he’s just 24 years old, because I swear he’s been to some of the same parties I was at, well, many years ago. He has a new album, Cabinet of Curiosities (from Trouble in Mind Records), and is currently touring in the U.S. Mmmm… strings, harpsichord, flutes… love. Grab your magic mushrooms and head out to The Middle East (Upstairs) on Sunday night to enjoy this live and in person. It seems he’s received high praise from Pitchfork, but we won’t hold that against him.

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Beck’s Song Reader comes to life with 150 Performers this Thursday!

By julie

On February 25, 2013

In Boston Bands, Indie Music, Show Previews

Beck’s Song Reader—featuring 150 performers in music, dance and performance art
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Somerville Theatre
facebook event | ::: tickets :::

Back in December, Beck released his album Song Reader the way music was traditionally released—as sheet music, to be interpreted by those inspired to do so. This custom songbook contains 20 songs and over 100 pages of original art. It’s both a vintage and revolutionary idea, and was eight years in the making. A web site was set up where musicians (and budding musicians) could upload their renditions.

Inspired by this creative effort, 150 local performers (yes, that’s one hundred and fifty) have joined together to present their versions of songs from this album, ina live performance at Somerville Theatre in Davis Square on Thursday night. As stated in their press release, “On Thursday, February 28th Boston’s finest musicians & dancers are collaborating to bring Beck Hansen’s album “Song Reader” to life with live music & original choreography at the historic Somerville Theatre. Months in the making, this evening will feature over 150 musicians, dancers, performance artists and a choir performing new material based of Beck’s latest work. Don’t miss this ONE NIGHT ONLY show!”

To give you an idea of the scope of this, some of those performers are Sarah Rabdau, Molly Zenobia, SchoolTree, Jade Sylvan, UnAmerika’s Sweetheart Karin Webb, Kristen Ford Band, Mary Bichner, Vessela Stoyanova w/Tony Leva and Singer Mali. The show is produced by Burns and Webb. You can get a little preview of what’s planned for Thursday night on YouTube.

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Liars & Believers present… Lunar Labyrinth

By julie

On February 9, 2013

In Indie Music, Poetry & Spoken Word, Puppets, Show Previews

Lunar Labyrinth
presented by Liars & Believers
based on a story by Neil Gaiman
at Cafe Oberon, 2 Arrow Street
Harvard Square, Cambridge
February 13, 2013 at 8pm
online tickets SOLD OUT;
limited number of tickets available at the door only – $23/$28
::: facebook event ::: | Liars & Believers

This coming Wednesday at Oberon, there’s going to be a multimedia theatrical extravanza, based on a new unpublished short story by author Neil Gaiman. The evening will feature music, poetry, storytelling, puppetry, dance, aerial performance and more, from the region’s most experimental and visionary artists. It’s directed by Steven Bogart and will include performances by Mali Sastri, Phillip Berman, Mary Bichner, Brett Cramp, Claire Davies, Jennifer Hicks, John J. King, Eileen Little, Corianna Moffatt, Masha Obolensky, April Ranger, and Karin Webb.

::: Learn about the performers :::

(from the press release): “Come see what lies at the top of the hill, where the Lunar Labyrinth once stood, in this theatrical adaptation of an unpublished new short story by author Neil Gaiman. For one night only, join us for a feast of music, storytelling, puppetry, poetry, dance, aerial performance, and more. Will you be healed by the bright of the moon? Or blighted by the monsters hiding in her shadow?).”

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