musings from boston

Band Round-Up – March 29, 2010

On March 29, 2010

Dustin O'Halloran (photo by stafano.masselli@fastwebnet.it), Mevansa, Julia Nunes, Evelyn Evelyn, Laminated Cat, and Moga.

Time for another one of these. Way past time, in fact. Here’s a handful of folks who ‘jumped out at me’ from a pile of email in January and February. Hopefully I can catch up with this delightful onslaught so I can get to March’s mailings before the summer. Though if anyone is coming through the Northeast on tour, I’ll try to be more timely than that. In part one of two – contemporary classical pianist Dustin O’Halloran, the quirky and cool duo of Boston’s Amanda Palmer and Jason Webley, giving birth to Evelyn Evelyn, quirky (yes, I like quirky) singer-songwriter Julia Nunes, cool and buzz-worthy Boston/Georgia/Maine-based Laminated Cat, a pretty and folky L.A. band called Mevansa, and folk/psych peeps from Providence RI, Moga.

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Boston Bands This Week…

By julie

On March 24, 2010

In Boston Bands, Show Previews

Mali of Jaggery (photo by BriAnna Olson), Holly Brewer of HUMANWINE, and Orchestra Morphine

Craziness abounds on ‘musings’ right now, and in April I have plans to see (and cover) perhaps as many as ten shows, so I’m scaling this back a bit. This week, I’ll have a quick look at two shows happening Thursday and Friday night – from theatrical otherworldly cabaret (OwlWatcher, Jaggery, Walter Sickert And The Army Of Broken Toys, HUMANWINE); to the bluesy, rootsy, and down-to-earth (Orchestra Morphine, Treat Her Right).

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Band Round-Up: Eastside L.A. Edition, part two

By julie

On March 24, 2010

In Band Profiles, Indie Music

One Trick Pony (photo by Zoe Ruth), Princeton (photo by Laura Heffington), The Sweet Hurt, The French Semester (photo by Olivia Hemaratanatorn), Sara Lov (photo by Paige K. Parsons), and Wait. Think. Fast.

Here’s “part two” of my latest installment of really awesome Eastside L.A. bands (see part one, in case you missed it). Please forgive the brevity, but there’s just so much amazing music going on out there, I want to mention as many as possible. As I become more familiar, I’ll do larger profiles and maybe review new music when it comes out. And certainly, if any of these guys make the cross-country journey to these parts, I’ll be sure to let everyone know! As always, if there’s anything or anyone I missed who deserves mention, please pass it along.

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Band Round-Up: Eastside L.A. Edition, part one

By julie

On March 22, 2010

In Band Profiles, Indie Music

A handful of awesome Eastside L.A. bands: Aushua (photo by Angi Welsch), Best Coast, Correatown, Downtown/Union, Le Switch (photo by Charlie Chu), Manhattan Murder Mystery (photo by Laurie Scavo), and Marvelous Toy.

This is a continuation of my two-part “Silverlake Band Update – part 1 and part 2” with bands that I’ve listened to or heard of since then and wanted to give a nod to. Note that these aren’t “new” bands – most have been together for at least a few years now – but they’re newish to me, as most just perform around the Los Angeles area or the West Coast – plus the fact that I’m a hermit and I don’t get out much. If there’s anyone I haven’t gotten to who I should know about, please let me know!

Also, three more blogs to check out: (newish) This Ain’t A Scene and (not so new, but I forgot last time): Surfing On Steam and When You Awake, a very cool place dedicated to the country, alt-country, folk & roots scene.

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Spring

By julie

On March 20, 2010

In Musings

Empty page, budding trees, singing birds, brand new start
yet familiar yearnings in my heart
the pain of connecting, then by fate forced apart
and I wonder what you’re thinking, what you’re doing, where you are.

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Expanding Awareness: Devils & Demonology in the 21st Century with Katie Boyd

By julie

On March 19, 2010

In Expanding Awareness

On tomorrow’s Expanding Awareness show, Victor will be discussing “Devils & Demonology in the 21st Century” with author Katie Boyd. Listen on Saturday morning at 10am on WZBC 90.3 FM (in the Boston area) or check him out online. You can also listen after the fact on the WZBC archive.

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Boston Bands This Week…

By julie

On March 18, 2010

In Boston Bands, Gigs, Indie Music, Show Previews

Margin Walker, The Stereo Flys, and The Grave Reviews @ P.A.’s Lounge, Somerville, Saturday, March 20. 21+, 8:30pm doors, tix $10.

Just one featured band this week, due to exhaustion and a pile of other things to get to. Boston’s own The Stereo Flys are a happy, crunchy, distortion-loving psych-rock indie trio – Jeff Beam (guitar & vocals), Sam Peisner (bass) and Zander Kagle (drums).

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New Boston Club: The Royale opening night.. tonight!

By julie

On March 13, 2010

In Boston-area news, Music News

Ok, just a quickie here to introduce a new club I’ve just found out about this week. It’s called The Royale, and it’s on the site of the old Roxy, at 279 Tremont Street. You can read more about it (and see a few photos). Their grand opening is tonight, with a live performance by Tyson Ritter (from The All American Rejects) and “special guests”. Never mind about the mention of “Playboy events” – this is a new 800-capacity rock venue, folks, in downtown Boston, and one of the bands scheduled for May 4 & 5 is Public Image Limited. So definitely a club to keep an eye on. And I will.

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Boston Bands This Week (03/08/10)…

By julie

On March 9, 2010

In Boston Bands, Show Previews

Mary Lou Lord, The John Powhida International Airport, and Danielle Doyle.

Marching boldly into my latest installment of “Boston Bands This Week”. We start with “a classic”, Mary Lou Lord, whom I must be recalling from the early 90s when I first moved to Boston. She’s doing a special acoustic performance on Wednesday at Arts at the Armory in Somerville, which will probably sell out if it hasn’t already. Then there’s a few very cool bands playing at P.A.’s Lounge on Friday, including a personal favorite, the wacky and wonderful John Powhida International Airport. Finally on Saturday, there’s a CD release party for someone who just recently came to my attention, Somerville-based singer-songwriter Danielle Doyle, who’s joined, once again, by some cool local bands – this time, in the acoustic, ambient, and Americana vein.

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trust

By julie

On March 7, 2010

In Musings

every once in a while
the universe decides that something is correct
a decision you’ve made; a course of action
however inadvertent and clumsy it may have seemed at the time.
everything falls into place.
and once it does, it cannot be stopped or undone,
despite your best intentions.
self-sabotage, self-doubt, fear of success…
it doesn’t matter.
fate or free will? in that rare moment, they align.
you’re dragged along by the river’s certain flow
and you’re left feeling puzzled.
“i wanted this?” i wanted this.
i just need to be reminded.
do i know what i want? what i need?
it comes down to trust.

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