musings from boston

Christopher Paul Stelling at Precinct Bar Friday night (as part of Hear Now Live Presents’ stellar line-up)

On April 18, 2012

In Boston Bands, Indie Music, Show Previews

photo by Clarence K. Photography

Hear Now Live Presents: Dead Cats Dead Rats, Shoney Lamar & The Equal Rights, Division Tree, Subpar Co-star, and Christopher Paul Stelling (from Brooklyn) with
Friday, April 20
Precinct Bar, Union Square, Somerville
21+ | 7pm

Hear Now Live will be presenting a big 5-band bill Friday night at Precinct with a few Boston notables – Dead Cats Dead Rats and Shoney Lamar & The Equal Rights – and two other Boston-area bands. But the one I’m really here to talk about is Brooklyn-based Christopher Paul Stelling. His debut album, Songs of Praise & Scorn (Mecca Lecca Recording Co), was released back in February, and it’s quite wonderful.

I’ve written about Mr. Stelling’s very impressive acoustic finger-picked guitar; smooth, soulful and occasionally hellfire-explosive southern gospel vocals; and personal storytelling a few times now on ‘musings.’ The album is stunning, with minimal accompaniment in the form of gorgeous gypsy violin courtesy of Cheyenne Marie Mize and additional vocals from Julia Christgau. Last time he was also at Precinct, and I see now with Shoney Lamar as well, and for some reason I wasn’t able to get there. I’ll do my best not to make the same mistake twice. I’ve heard his live performances are quite powerful and compelling. Have a listen below, and put this on your calendar (get there early, as it seems he’s on first).

<a href="http://christopherpaulstelling.bandcamp.com/album/songs-of-praise-and-scorn">Songs of Praise and Scorn by Christopher Paul Stelling</a>

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Org: Intoxication (under the influence) @ Club Oberon, Friday night!

By julie

On April 18, 2012

In Indie Music, Show Previews

Image: Stian Berg Larsen

Org: Intoxication (under the influence)
featuring music: cirkestra, shana falana (brooklyn), molly zenobia; dance: shri rajuli with honey circuit, the wondertwins; magic: dezrah the strange; and musically MC’d by: singer mali (of Jaggery) with raky sastri (of You Won’t)
Friday, April 20 at 8pm
Club Oberon, 2 Arrow Street (Harvard Square), Cambridge MA
18+ | $20 seating, $15 standing
::: buy tickets here ::: (or at the Oberon box office)

Anyone who has been to one of Singer Mali’s infamous Orgs knows this is not to be missed. This one is open to the public, and is the 3rd such extravaganza at the wonderful Oberon in Harvard Square (think: gothic supper club). The theme this time is “Intoxication (under the influence,” and its mission statement: “to exhilarate and stupefy as if by liquor.” I have no doubt this wonderful line up of artists and oddities will do just that.F For those uninitiated, Orgs are multimedia spectaculars; avantgarde, gothic variety shows. Very special. Here’s a taste of what’s in store.

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It’s About Time

By julie

On April 15, 2012

In Boston Bands, Show Previews

Has it really been two weeks since I’ve posted anything? Sorry about that. Coming up soon in musings from boston, a few ‘shows of note’ coming up next weekend (Org: Intoxication @ Oberon, Christopher Paul Stelling @ Precinct), and profiles of bands that caught my ear over the past several weeks. Stay tuned. For now, check out coverage from Night #5 of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Rumble preliminaries over at Ryan’s Smashing Life. More about the ensuing battles will be turning up there in the coming days, and don’t forget the finale at T.T.’s with Bow Thayer and Perfect Trainwreck, Garvey J (and the Secret Pockets of Hope and Resistance) and ?? (wildcard, tbd) on Friday!

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A New Club for Every Season…

By julie

On March 31, 2012

In Boston-area news, Music Biz

(add these venues to your Boston-area clubbing circuit – coming soon!)

Valhalla International Restaurant and Lounge, and future sites of The Davis Square Theater and The Sinclair

Attention club hoppers – Davis, Central, and Harvard Squares will all be giving birth to brand new clubs this year. The Davis Square Theatre, which was formerly Jimmy Tingle’s Off Broadway Theater, will be adding live music shows to its schedule of theater productions (Spring); Valhalla is coming to Central Square, which is actually the All Asia Bar moving house (Summer); and The Sinclair in Harvard Square will be operated by Bowery Cambridge, the latest ‘outreach program’ by New York’s booking agency The Bowery Presents, much the same as they now do at The Royale with Bowery Boston (Autumn).

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Drift off with Drifterswift @ PA’s Lounge tomorrow night…

By julie

On March 29, 2012

In Indie Music, Show Previews

Rough week? Let the dreamy and pleasantly spacey sounds of Drifterswift wash all that crap away. Head out to P.A.’s Lounge in Somerville tomorrow (Friday) night. Have a listen to two lovely new songs below. They’ll be joined by Full Time Dreamers, Paper Snakes, and The Highway.

web | facebook | twitter | bandcamp | blog

<a href="http://drifterswift.bandcamp.com/album/rule-of-twelfths">Rule of Twelfths by drifterswift</a>

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Sara Radle (of L.A.’s Walking Sleep) celebrates her latest solo album, Same Sun Shines, with her Thursday night show at PA’s Lounge

By julie

On March 28, 2012

In Indie Music, Show Previews

photo by Dhrupick

Lucas Navarro (12am) with Faux Ox (11pm), Sara Radle (10pm), and Gun Shop Daddy (9pm) at PA’s Lounge, Thursday, 3/29
8:30pm doors | 21+ | $8

From San Antonio, Texas, to L.A.’s Eastside, songwriter, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Sara Radle has been performing since 1996, first in the punk-pop trio Lucy Loves Schroeder, then in The Rentals with ex-Weezer bassist Matt Sharp (who convinced her to move out to Los Angeles). After releasing an EP and going on a world tour, she left The Rentals to join up with her current band, Walking Sleep (formerly known as The Flying Tourbillon Orchestra).

Throughout those years, she’s also had a solo career. In February, she released her fifth album, Same Sun Shines, on which she plays guitars, drums, piano, and violin, as well as doing all the engineering and mixing herself. It was released on Jeez Louise Records, her own label. On the plucky and proud “The Pins,” she sings “I’ll do this without you.” Indeed. The result? Vibrant and poppy with a ’60s girl group vibe, and some delicately pretty, sad and sweet pop ballads. Of special note, the song “Still Here,” a chilling matter-of-fact contemplation of suicide, and a cover of “Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys” sung as a duet with Mary Lou Lord.

<a href="http://sararadle.bandcamp.com/album/same-sun-shines">Same Sun Shines by Sara Radle</a>

Upcoming Shows

Thursday, 3/29 @ P.A.’s Lounge // Boston, MA
Friday, 3/30 @ The Living Room w/Marvelous Toy // NYC
Sunday, 4/1 @ DC9 // Washington, D.C.
Saturday, 4/7 @ Art Bar // Milwaukee, WI
Sunday, 4/8 @ Quenchers Saloon // Chicago, IL
Monday, 4/9 @ Redstone Room // Davenport, IA

West Coast tour w/ Girl In A Coma, Pinata Protest
4/22-5/10 (AZ, CA, OR, WA, ID, UT, NM, TX) – see site for details

web | facebook | twitter | youtube | bandcamp

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The strong, soulful sound of Nneka touches down at TT’s Monday night (3/26)

By julie

On March 24, 2012

In Indie Music, Show Previews, Worthy Causes & Activism

Nigerian-German songstress and activist Nneka Elise Egbuna has important things to say concerning social justice, human dignity, and the soul’s journey, and she’s been doing it in elegant fashion since 2004, when she first started working with German hip-hop producer DJ Farhot, performing in Hamburg, where she lived at the time. Singing in both English and her native Igbo, she cites hip-hop as her main influence, and her powerful social commentary touches on the best traditions of that genre, but her sound is unique, melding hip-hop beats with shuffling reggae rhythms, African pop and authentic ’60s/’70s soul, with strong tribal roots.

Taking from the best of all worlds, she creates an atmosphere that wraps perfectly around her amazingly agile vocals.

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MTV Hive Live Premieres in Boston with Cloud Nothings ~ Sunday Night (3/25) at Brighton Music Hall – with Live Streaming!

By julie

On March 23, 2012

In Indie Music, Music News, Show Previews

Fenway Recordings Sessions, Crossroads Presents and MTV Hive present Cloud Nothings, with Classic Education and The Dirty Dishes at Brighton Music Hall
Sunday, March 25 ~ Doors at 8 PM; Show at 9 PM; 18+ show; $10 advance
::: buy tickets ::: | Live Stream 3/25 at 11pm!

The Fenway Recordings Sessions folks have teamed up with MTV Hive for a very cool concert series which kicks off on Sunday night with Cleveland’s indie punk rockers Cloud Nothings at Brighton Music Hall. This new collaboration, Live In Boston, is an expansion of MTV Hive Live’s ongoing Live in NYC concert series at New York’s Webster Hall, that has featured such bands as The National, Sleigh Bells, The Black Keys, Two Door Cinema Club, Theophilus London, and St. Vincent. Their mission has been to bring emerging artists (and some fairly well established ones) to the masses via live-streamed concerts. With this new venture, they’ll be bringing Boston’s music scene and visiting artists to a global audience (hopefully this will also benefit the local bands on these bills). For those who can’t make it to the show, you can watch an hour of it online Sunday night at 11pm ET. The BMH show also features Boston’s The Dirty Dishes and Bologna, Italy sextet A Classic Education.

[Editor’s note: how annoying are YouTube ads? Sorry!]

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Billy Wine’s funk & hip hop

By julie

On March 22, 2012

In Indie Music

photo by Dory Dinoto

Something a bit different for me. To be honest, I’m not a huge funk or hip-hop fan (and these guys are rather surprisingly both), but I’ll make an exception for a band this good. Somerville based trio Billy Wine refer to themselves as “funk hip hop/instrumental” – sometimes they just jam out on their own, and other times they’re joined by a rapper. Check out one of their instrumentals. And if you like what you hear, keep an eye out on their sites for upcoming shows.

<a href="http://billywine.bandcamp.com/track/weatherman">Weatherman by Billy Wine</a>

web | facebook | twitter | bandcamp

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Relations (from Brooklyn, NY) at Radio in Somerville Friday night

By julie

On March 21, 2012

In Indie Music, Show Previews

Relations w/the Beatings and Louder My Dear
Radio, Union Square, Somerville – Friday, March 23
9pm show | 21+ | $7

Brooklyn, NY-based duo Relations are playing their first Boston show at Radio (Union Square, Somerville) Friday night. From auspicious beginnings as part of a Modern Lovers cover band, Terence Murren and Michael Sanders (Officer
May/ Abigail Warchild) re-joined forces last year to create music, the result being their upcoming EP, to be released on U.K. based 100m Records. You can see the first video for the track “A Savage Way to Live.” Joining them Friday night will be Boston’s own the Beatings and Louder My Dear.

web | facebook | 100m Records | The Beatings | Louder My Dear

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