tonight!

tonight i'm going to see the Toasters on their 30th anniversary tour!

my friend Logan (formerly of the flaming tsunamis, royal city riot and more) has been playing with them for a bit and it will be my first time seeing them with him which is quite exciting! I do believe that members of Westbound Train will be backing Bucket on this jaunt but I couldn't be sure, should be fun regardless!

tonight!

and you could sing along...

special news + recent acquisitions

Again No Idea Records makes my day on multiple accounts...

THE INITIAL LINE UP FOR THE TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF FEST IS AS FOLLOWS...

Hot Water Music, Against Me!, Less Than Jake, Samiam, Lifetime, Bouncing Souls, Dillinger Four, None More Black, Paint it Black, Small Brown Bike, Dead to Me, Teenage Bottlerocket, Toys That Kill, Tim Barry, A Wilhelm Scream, Circle Takes The Square, Off With Their Heads, The Holy Mountain, Cobra Skulls, Magrudergrind, Bomb The Music Industry, No Trigger, Trap Them, Dear Landlord, Underground Railroad to Candyland, The Menzingers, The Copyrights, Broadway Calls, Cheap Girls, Ninja Gun, Nothington, Shook Ones, Banner Pilot, Static Radio, Coliseum, Chris Wollard and the Ship Thieves, We Are The Union, Grabass Charlestons, Worn in Red, The Measure (sa) [FINAL SHOW], Tiltwheel, Bridge and Tunnel, Dan Padilla, Blacklist Royals, The Snips (Canada), The Brokedowns, The Catalyst, Algernon Cadwallader, Red City Radio, Shores, Future Virgnis, The Riot Before, Make Do and Mend, We Were Skeletons, Pianos Become Teeth, The Flatliners (Canada), Young Turks, Campaign, OK Pilot (UK), Look Mexico, Dirty Tactics, The Dopamines, The Arteries (UK), Bent Left, SSSSNAKES(UK), How Dare You, Comadre, Grown Ups, Such Gold, Tigers Jaw, Touché Amoré, The Great Explainer, PJ Bond, Carpenter (Canada), Annabel, One Win Choice, Amateur Party, Cynics (UK), Sexy Crimes, Greenland is Melting, Spanish Gamble, Captain We're Sinking, Senders, O Pioneers! Pure Graft (UK), Caves (UK), Mixtapes, Vultures United, Living With Lions (Canada), Mose Giganticus...and many more alumni to come!!!

Ironically, I just returned from the sunshine state from a little family vacation, hence my absent blogging. I came home to a package full of beautiful records and a wonderful surprise to look forward to. I just finished perusing my first official NO IDEA distro order and I am oh so content with my purchases. Now I just need to find the time to listen to all of this wonderful music! I'm itching for my return in the fall for my third fest experience. The first two did not disapoint whatsoever and it looks like Fest X will only improve.

I was so excited that I decided to pose with each record... Don't judge.

review.

The Wild - Set Ourselves Free

I was first introduced to this band again by Jeff Rosenstock, through his label quote unquote records, but my attachment came elsewhere. Two years ago, when visiting long island for a reunion show for The Fad, we were getting ready to commence our recording process with Jeff and we had a conversation about his future endeavors outside of his band. He told me that he was looking to start a Plea For Peace center in his native new york and was very much inspired by the work of some Atlanta youngsters that I would later know as The Wild. They had a tremendous part in starting a community center called Wonderroot, which is a non-profit arts organization “commited to uniting artists and community to inspire positive social change”. Not only is does this center have a performance space, but a dark room, recording studio, ceramics studio, and a digital media lab! I didn’t get fully exposed to this band until they came to the middle east club with my friends in Laura Stevenson and the Cans, whom through them I met Wild Banjoer Steve who played as a part of the Cans when we had a mini tour with them in February. Their set was such a refreshing take on one might tag with the “folk punk” moniker, but with an electric sensibility. This show also featured my best friends in The Brave Little Abacus, whose lead singer Adam in the months following this performance really got me into this record. The duality of singers Witt and Diana, whom often sing in unison, really works to their advantage. I would later find that these two were a couple, which really changed my perspective on the way that they express themselves through their songs and especially their lyrics. The way they often express the same words in unison, just says a lot about their relationship and it really is beautiful to be exposed to a couple who are bonded through music in such an intense way. The words themselves are nothing less than exceptional and are laced with so many silver linings, that when listening to this record it can be hard to miss the positivity in life. My relationship with this record was solidified when my friend Adam performed a facebook rendition of their song “Dear Noah” on seven string guitar donned with a goofy hat, which I had previously learned had tainted an experience at disney world. The words of this song didn’t really hit me until after Adam had composed an ensemble to perform it at a garage show over the summer. Before singing the words “These dreams are ours to share together, they’re right in front of our eyes”, Adam expressed his thoughts on how this song represented what our friends had been doing at that point in time. “Just keep you those that love you everywhere that you go” really gave what we we had done in that garage over the previous year a newfound sense of importance. Sometimes we all overlook the fact that what we are doing has significance, when it is so easy to envision the places we could be and the things we could be doing. When in reality, the best times are performing music with people that you love, no matter how many people are there and what the circumstances are. My next encounter with this band would be in Gainesville, Florida as one of the first bands I saw at The Fest. Adam had been anticipating this performance for quite sometime, and this record was in constant rotation on the way down. He had told me how Witt had constantly expressed how much he hoped that Adam was going to be able to attend Fest and seeing how much this meant to them put this band into a different perspective. It was obvious to me at this point how much Witt respected Adams artistry and this meant a lot to someone who has appreciated this kid since the first time I saw him with his high school ska band years ago. What really sealed the deal with this band though was watching this band with Adam and the Cans, set fire to the local bike shop on the first night of the festival. When “Dear Noah” was performed, in place of, where in the record they would say “Hey Kylee!” in which she responds with “WHAT!?”, Adam replaced the role of Kylee as he prompted the intensity that is the bridge of that song. This was such a wonderful way to commence a beautiful weekend and a good point of reference for a time where I found myself bonding with Adam through music more and more. Musically, I don’t think there is much more to say because I think the music speaks for itself. AND its FREE on quote unquote records. I can only look forward to developing my relationship with this band further in 2011.

retrospect: don giovanni records showcase at the williamsburg music hall

After unfortunately missing the first night of the Don Giovanni Records showcase due to lack of sleep the previous couple nights catching up with friends, I wondered to myself if I would be up for the adventure to Brooklyn. I'd hoped to have a friend join me on the trip, but as the departure time grew closer this prospect was looking meek. As I prepared myself to drive a few hours by myself, the obvious thoughts of what am I getting myself into took me over. I'd had opportunities to see the bands that I was looking forward to in the past year and I'd seen my friends in Laura Stevenson and the Cans, twice in the past few days. So despite my reservation, I got in my car and drove to Williamsburg. Thankfully, my good friend Adam and I had a good talk on the phone that helped the drive go by quite successfully, as we had much to talk about. After a couple hours only stopping once for gas, I passed the famous 1964 New York Worlds Fair sculpture in Queens, as depicted in the final scenes of the film Men In Black and I had realized how fast the time had gone by. After sitting in a small amount of traffic I found myself in a sea of fashionably dressed men and women and realized that all that I had heard about Williamsburg's "hip" culture was no myth. I arrived at the venue and had anticipated scrambling for parking and or paying a sum like one may in Boston, but I was surprised to find a prime spot in what seemed to be a pretty safe area a block away.

As I entered the blue lit stairwell of the venue, stepping out of the cold Brooklyn streets and into the quite warm venue I felt a sense of comfort that would last throughout the night. This was much needed after a long solo drive. I explored the venue and found myself quite pleased with the layout, which included an upstairs and raised areas on the side that provided many adequate vantage points. After saying hello to the cans, I took a seat in the main bar area which was removed from the main room. I thought to myself, could this be true? I was at a music venue where there wasn't an advertisement or opportunity for the consumption of alcohol at every corner. I sat alone as I watched a collection of what I could only imagine the average person would consider the text book definition of the term "hipsters". Feeling quite intimidated by the amount of people who clearly put much more time into their outfits than I had, I patiently awaited the beginning of the concert. I milled around upstairs, contacting a few people who I would hope to see while I was in town as the band Byrds of Paradise collected themselves on stage. I had not previously been exposed to this band, but knowing Don Giovanni's current roster and alumni, I knew I wouldn't be disappointed. The Byrds gave their effect-laden take on what I would consider indie rock, with a punk rock heart. Their guitarist jumped around stage with his fender telecaster, which pierced through a quite prominent and always heavily fuzzed bass tone. Their guitarist seemed to be enjoying himself quite a lot and that in turn made me enjoy their performance. He utilized his guitar in a way that bordered psych-rock, every so often using a chorus or phasing effect to highlight his playing, but always kept punchy and distorted in true punk rock fashion. Their vocalist's somewhat apathetic vocals were certainly highlighted by the amount of saturation that a reverb effect provided. Although his the vocalist's stage presence was not a driving force of the band, I would say that the drumming definitely made up for it. His style was quite precise and aggressive, certainly feeding off of the energy of the guitarist. I sort of trailed off towards the end of their set, because I was really anticipating the next set from one of my favorite bands of the past few months, Lemuria.

As Lemuria took the stage, with their always humble demeanor, I was shocked to see that they opened their set with one of their strongest segues of their first full length Get Better, Dog > Dogs. Their presence was made quite clear as they quickly transitioned into a few of the stronger songs off of their first collection, which included "Bee Spit" a song that isn't played quite often from my deduction. It seemed to me that Lemuria were aware of their disposition, being the only band who isn't actually on the record label, and the first in a line of bands to feature a strong female front figure. Knowing this, I think that some of the bands insecurities showed, but in the most positive ways possible. They flew through a set of songs that I found to be a wonderful summation of the bands abilities as performers as well as songwriters. It seemed as though they were focusing a lot of vocal efforts on vocalist/guitarist Sheena's part during this set, and when vocalist/drummer Alex's parts came in, his mic barely came through in the mix to my dismay. They played a few songs from their new album pebble, but unfortunately didn't play either of the songs from their new split with the band Cheap Girls, which I have been playing constantly. It was quite a treat to watch this set from a great vantage point beside my friend Jeff Rosenstock who is undoubtedly a huge factor of why I discovered this band. Watching him recall drum parts with a huge smile on his face to drummer Dave Garwacke of his project Kudrow, was definitely a highlight of the set. Although much of the crowd stood with crossed arms, I could tell that their performance was definitely appreciated.

After Lemuria played, I followed some friends to the top deck to catch Shellshag from above which was definitely a good idea. For those unfamiliar with this band, they are a two piece who are origionally from the west coast and were somewhat recently transplanted on the east coast which much of their latter following, including myself, can be attributed to. It was brought to my knowledge that they have been a band for roughly twenty years and a collection of all their early tapes can be found on Don Giovanni Records. I was familiarized with this band by way of a cover version of their song "Resilient Bastard" as done by Olympia, Washington's RVIVR featuring Matt Canino previously of the band Latterman. The two performers Shell and Shag played guitar and a standing three piece drum kit with an immense energy as both delivered vocals directly to each other. It has also been brought to my attention that these two have been a couple for quite sometime, but are opposed to marriage and are quite open about it. Their relationship was quite apparent in their relation to each other, as they passionately accompanied each other to the best of their ability in a somewhat minimalist setting. Although the instrumentation was minimal, the sound certainly was not. Sweat bounced off the drums as they were pounded vigorously, with a large bass drum being approached like a floor tom would. The crowed bounced along with their driving grungy pop punk tunes and the energy in the crowd was certainly building as they dramatically finished their set in a drumkit-stacking floor-writhing pool of noise which the audience encouraged with applause.

The crowd roared as their hometown heroes Laura Stevenson and the Cans took the stage dressed uniformly in plaid and presented one of their strongest sets that I have witnessed. Feeding off of the energy of the crowd, the beautifully dynamic sound of the Cans was taken to a new level for me as they played to undoubtedly one of the largest crowds that they have seen. The often timid yet personable approach of Laura towards the crowd seemed more confident than usual (as it should always be) as she addressed the crowd. I think the comfort and support of friends definitely played in their sound that night. They played new songs from their upcoming Don Giovanni release including the first single "Master of Art", which to me seemed quite familiar to a crowd who acknowledged their excitement as they recognized this song. Despite the large crowd, and the stylistic shift they seemed to be quite respectful towards Laura as she sang with little to no accompaniment and as they should be were in awe as her voice filled the room and grabbed the attention of I'm sure just about everyone in the audience. After seeing this band for a third time, I hadn't nearly grown tired of these songs which I think says a lot about their ability to perform them. Needless to say, It was a pleasure seeing this band on their home turf and I patiently look forward to the reception they get from their new release on this label which I see as a great fit for them especially after this showcase. Mike from the cans has agreed to assist in a feature of this band which should be coming very soon, so keep an eye out for that!

I was lucky to score free tickets to see the final performers Screaming Females on tour with Ted Leo and the Pharmacists last march and my first impression of them was definitely a lasting one. They live up to their name in that they have a female lead vocalist and guitarist who is known to scream from time to time but they are certainly not limited to this. This band had captivated me almost a year ago, but what I didn't know when I saw them last saturday was that I had really missed out on their latest release Castle Talk which I believe was released after I saw them for the first time. This New Jersey three-piece has taken their DIY approach to punk rock all the way to Late Night with Carson Daly, but don't call them sell outs yet, because they have grown infinitely better in my humble opinion. Somehow Screaming Females have managed to make a three piece sound fuller than ever and have learned how to incorporate guitar solos into a live setting without making it monotonous and dull. Guitarist Marissa Paternoster, really sets standards high for punk rock guitar playing and I'm sure makes guys and girls jealous of her chops all the same. For the first time throughout the night I found myself pulled into the music in an indescribable way. Not to say that I didn't expect it, but this headlining performance was definitely an improvement from the last time I saw them, which caught me somewhat off guard. I was mesmerized by their performance to the point where I'd almost forgotten the rest of the crowd was there, mosh-pitting and all. If you do get the chance to see this band live, I highly suggest you take it because they are one of the most unique and powerful acts on the circuit today. This whole show left me feeling so motivated by the way that so many people could gather together and support such a diverse bill. I highly anticipate Don Giovanni's releases of 2011 as they have in my eye become one of the most powerful and influential record labels in the punk rock and indie scene today.

all pictures courtesy of brooklynvegan.com

new events.

02/28 MassArt - Boston, MA - ALL AGES - ?

PAUL BARIBEAU / THE BOY WHO COULD FLY / LION CUB /

THE NEW AND VERY WELCOME / THE POOREST SAINT / PARASOL

03/10 Middle East Downstairs - Cambridge, MA - ALL AGES - $12

DEFEATER / THE CARRIER / DISAPPEARER / DREAMTIGERS / THE FIRST ANNUAL

03/11 Party Xpo - Brooklyn, NY - $12

IRON CHIC / SLINGSHOT DAKOTA / DAYTRADER / SPANISH GAMBLE + MORE

03/12 Party Xpo - Brooklyn, NY - $15

MY HEART TO JOY / SNOWING / STATIC RADIO NJ / BIG EYES / MIKEY ERG + MORE

03/12 The Wacky Kastle - Allston, MA - ALL AGES - Donnations

BRIDGE AND TUNNEL / CHOKE UP / ONE WIN CHOICE / LUAU

04/19 Firehouse 13 - Providence, RI - ALL AGES - $10

ALGERNON CADWALLADER / BAND NAME / THE WORLD IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE AND I AM NO LONGER AFRAID TO DIE / HAVE FUN DYING THIS WINTER /

AGAPE / BIRDS IN PAINTINGS CANT FLY / APSIS

04/23 - Middle East Upstairs - Cambridge, MA - ALL AGES - $10

THE FAD / WE ARE THE UNION / THE FORTHRIGHTS / BRUNT OF IT

how do you contribute?

NAME: cody john laplante

AGE: 22

CURRENTLY RESIDING: i live in dover with UNH students/adam and zach from BLA

CURRENT PROJECTS: i write some songs by the primate now with my chord organ and garbage band

PREVIOUS ENDEAVORS: i was in a dysfunctional band Clarinet with andrew from BLA for 2008-2010 playing perverted pop on the keyboard and i was in Eggplant Dance-off! playing SKA saxophone from 2005-2007. i don't promote my music at all but it is necessary for me to eek out some songs anyways

HOW DO YOU CONTRIBUTE? i've always been into booking shows. i booked them at my parents house and at my parent's cabin but then i got this job at UNH booking concerts through a student entertainment organization, MUSO. As the music director i book concerts from start to finish in the Memorial Union Building at UNH. I get to book like 8-10 a year. From 60 kids to 420.

SOMETHING YOU ARE PROUD OF: i like to be able to pair different artists together on the same show and showcase the talents of my friends like pairing Interobang?! up with Big D and The Brave Little Abacus up with Genghis Tron. One of my favorite moments was the Phil Elvrum/Mount Eerie show. Jason Anderson played and we all circled around him and sang along eventually lifting him up onto our mass. Then Phil played and we all sat down and bowed our heads to his towering distortion. Booking his was booking one of my favorite musicians. i love local shows too, when people get a whole new respect for their peers after seeing them play a set of music.

WHAT HAS INSPIRED YOU TO CONTRIBUTE? i've always relied on music and drawn my inspiration and importance from my favorite artists. the opportunity to show new people these acts and to bring them here for everyone else who loves them wasn't one i could pass up. it's a ton of stressful hard work but I wasn't content with taking the year off, and knew that i wanted to get back into booking my senior year. somehow, a music scene creates a stronger and more cohesive community then other art forms and I think that this ability shouldn't be overlooked.

WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY LISTENING TO? i've been stuck on beat happening and daniel johnston for a while because lo-fi is all i know how to play. i can never get enough of modest mouse or built to spill. yesterday i listened to Paul Simon's Graceland 4 times.

review.

THE SIDEKICKS - WEIGHT OF AIR

I had downloaded this album quite some time ago and felt quite guilty as this album was the number one album of many 2009 lists on punknews including their own list. After being encouraged by Jeff Rosenstock to give this a good listen at the beginning of this year, I finally did. But it wasn’t until this summer when Jeff’s band Bomb the Music Industry! brought them to the middle east club for a double header on a hot July day of which I attended both. I found myself listening to this album endlessly in the weeks leading up to this concert as I performed mindless tasks at my summer job, and these tasks seemed to fly by faster than usual. It was when I finally saw this band live that I understood what the hype was all about. The power of both vocalists is quite apparent in the opening track “Let It Breathe”, which is merely supported by an acoustic guitar in the first verse, and the addition of a banjo in the second. The album comes in hard and loud with a thunderous alternation of high hat and snare which is followed by huge cutting open chords. This song could be plucked straight of the movie “That Thing You Do”, with its catchy hooks including the endless chant of “Looking for love in all the wrong places/Looking for love where it can’t be found”. My friends and I found ourselves singing this line over and over as we waited for their second performance at the middle east. Their ability to manipulate simplistic elements into thoughtful and well posed songs of love as well as lost love is quite apparent in the third track “A Healthy Time” in which the importance of distance after a relationship ends is addressed. I hate to downplay the significance of this album in such few words, but it really has helped me conquer the depression I have encountered from the end of a significant relationship. The words “It takes a healthy time to redesign our lives/To forget when these traces of past constantly remind” feel as though they were tailor fit for the situation I am currently in. The rest of the album continues to highlight their ability to write catchy punk songs that are riddled with country, folk and often soul influences. This unique combination allows for endless replay in my opinion. Not to mention that their ability to harmonize vocally is quite a defining factor of the unique beauty of this band. Words border shouting but never leave pitch, to provide something that not many punk rock bands can say for themselves. These songs are nothing but heartfelt and I would think that it can be appreciated by anyone who enjoys a good rock and roll band with a punk heart and attitude to boot.

retrospect: tigers jaw, hostage calm and o pioneers!!! at club lido and outskirts house

01.29.2011

I took the adventure out to Revere Beach's own Wonderland Ballroom, which is a part of the Club Lido complex. I dropped my brother off at 5 when the show was supposed to start, so that he didn't miss the opening bands of which he wanted to see Pat Flynn from Have Heart's new outfit Wolf Whistle. I went off to pick up some friends and returned just as the show was starting because apparently none of the opening bands decided to show up on time. The show was nothing less than a bother to get to and considering that I paid five dollars to park and twelve dollars for admission, needless to say I was not amused from the minute I entered the "venue". The opening bands didn't make much of an impression on me, as much of the excitement for the latter bands was building. Life and Limb were a local band that although they had three guitarists, didn't seem to make use of them as I would've liked to. At this point I was still taking in my surroundings; which I couldn't help but verbalize about the fact that this place was an odd venue for a punk show. The Stereo State were the next act who had quite a familiar take on "melodic hardcore", these were the guys that held up the show to the point where every set afterwards was cut significantly, so it kind of jaded my opinion of them. Wolf Whistle apparently dropped the show which we figured by the time that the touring bands went on, much to our disappointment.

By the time that my most anticipated group O Pioneers!!! hit the stage, I had realized that there was a stench that I just could not escape, that was undoubtedly from this venues main function, a latin dance club. I don't want to think about what kind of dirty dancing was going on after the show, but this is also the reason why time was cut so short. O Pioneers!!! are always known for having an ever changing line up revolving around guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Eric Solomon, but this line up was one that I have yet to experience. It featured his regular drummer who is a member of the band Junior Battles, 3/4ths of the band New Bruises and Cam Taylor, who guitarist for the band Senders as well as a part of the No Idea, Southern Comfort PR team. This was without a doubt the fullest I've heard O Pioneers!!! sound, with 2 drummers, 3 guitarists and a bassist, holy moly! They pumped through some of my favorite tracks off of their last full length release Neon Creeps as well as some of their new unreleased material with great strength. As Eric announced that they would play three more songs a light flashed from the side of the stage and this would be a reoccurring theme of the night. He corrected himself and thanked the audience as they would only be playing one last song due to the club's restraints and the obvious need to start bringing in the people who would be buying booze, as soon as possible. Oh, the irony of a room littered with Have Heart T-shirts. I just wonder how aware these people are that their twelve dollar admission would be likely fueling the promiscuity of sloppy and apparently smelly night club attendees.

Hostage Calm came on soon afterwards and got the crowd riled up, although the nature of the crowd's actions was quite confusing to me. When I last saw Hostage Calm in 2009, at a benefit for a friend Mitchell Dubey's father alongside The Flaming Tsunamis, they were a different band completely. The climbing and mosh made sense as they were channeling a lot of the conventions of the modern hardcore scene. As a near filled hall in their home state of Connecticut, prepared for this event, I had similar feelings of uncertainty and smattering of fear much like when I first started attending hardcore shows at places like the Cambridge Elks Lodge. The boogie boards that were present in the crowed calmed my nerves, but they still managed to bring quite an energy to their performance. The tune was one that might make yourself think you should put up your guard in hopes that you don't get trampled. The tune of this recent performance was one that I could only equate to a showtune that I felt should be accompanied by a song and dance. I wasn't familiar with their latest self titled release, but their newfound pop sensibilities definitely showed during this short set. The mix was really bothersome for me and made it quite hard for me to enjoy at some points. After listening to their latest release, I found that it didn't necessarily translate as much of the complexity and precision just got lost among the vocals which drowned out much of the performance. The crowd response was confusing to me as people climbed on one another to songs that didn't really incorporate any conventions that this behavior is known to be in response of.

Tigers Jaw played last and they played a bit longer than the previous two bands, but still the mix was bothering me terribly. It was really great to see this band because I have really been enjoying their latest release Two Worlds, but parts of their performance were overshadowed by the fact that people were climbing left and right. Don't get me wrong, I am all for crowd participation, but when you witness the disappointment of a musician who cant sing their own words because someone just kicked a microphone into their face and onto the ground, I feel for them. They played their songs without flaw and attempted to sympathize with those like myself who were offended by the ticket price, but the mix still made it hard to enjoy the show as the vocals rung through my head to the point where I wanted to leave during certain parts. Thankfully they announced that there would be a house show later. I caught up with Eric from O Pioneers!!! after the show, whom I've had the pleasure of helping in the past as well as playing on the same bill on multiple occasions. He gave us the address for the house show which instilled some confidence in me that this night was not completely lost.

After a forty minute walk from my apartment, we reached the "outskirts" house which is quite literal. O Pioneers!!! began playing "There's My Blood" from their recent split with backing band Junior Battles which came out when my band supported both bands as well as Bomb The Music Industry and We Are The Union last may. I have developed quite a positive relationship with this song, which is a great example of where Eric is taking the direction of the band and it was certainly great to hear. This show was a tag team performance, in which each band played two songs and handed their gear off to the next band in hopes that they would play as many songs as possible in the event that the cops showed up. When we first showed up, we could barely make into the living room, but as the show progressed, people cycled out until we were amidst the madness. Hostage Calm seemed to delve into some of their earlier material which was a nice thing to hear and Tigers Jaw brought an indescribable energy to a room that couldn't have fit more than 25 people. Surrounded by friends, the show wound on two by two by two until it got to be quite late and Eric stated that Tigers Jaw would be playing "Bikeage" by the Descendents. They closed out the night with a request from my friend Matt: "Thank You, Noah Lowry" which closes their latest release Two Worlds as well as the aforementioned cover song. I felt like at that moment I was transported back to an Allston basement where my friends in Kill Conrad would play this song regularly and my true love for one of my all time favorite bands Descendents developed. Aside from a couple beers that were flung all over me and a glass cabinet which I was pushed into, I think it is safe to say this was one of the most fun shows that I have been to in a while. You can check out a little promotional video of the fun that was had at outskirts house with audio captured by my friend Ali Donohue below.

Outskirts House Show from Angela Owens on Vimeo.

some updates!

hey friends!

so I figured I'd explain some of my plans for the future.

I plan to get into a rhythm of posting things here,

so that there will be a stream of new stuff coming here regularly

an idea as to how things will be run...

MONDAYS: Show Updates, New Flyers, Things To Look Forward To, Etc.

TUESDAYS: Show Reviews

WEDNESDAYS: Record Reviews

THURSDAYS: How Do You Contribute? Active friend profiles

FRIDAYS: Featured Artist: Interviews, Possible Video/Audio Content?

I have some updated some event info, so check out that page.

Record reviews will be archived for the next couple weeks from past tumblr. as things get more active on this sight and I have a little more time when I settle into school. I hope to get things mixed up after a few weeks, with more friends contributing to the process.

review.

The Measure [SA] - Songs About People… And Fruit N’ Shit

I am going to be honest. This band gets to the point and that is how I am going to approach this review. In roughly eighteen minutes, this band approaches heartfelt pop punk tunes with the most sincere lyricism. This album of any was our “jam” to and from The Fest this year, I couldn’t tell you how many times it was listened to in those 40+ hours as well as the weeks following. For some reason, I can never just play one song out of the collection, I always have to play it straight through. I was first introduced to this album because it features the drumming of Mr. Mike Erg, whose work I always appreciate. But soon I found that I was connecting to the general nature of the band and not just the drumming. The alternating female and male vocals are definitely a highlight of this album for me. I obviously always have a place in my heart for female punk vocalists, but Lauren Measure really is something special. There is something in her voice that always tells me that it takes a lot to be saying the words that come out of her mouth. One really unique aspect of this album is that all of the guitars aren’t tuned to a standard pitch, just to each other. Which allows for a certain dissonance at times that I think works to their advantage in many ways. All these songs are quite anthemic in my opinion, making it hard for me to hold from belting out the whole record through. Seeing this band at the Fest was a great experience, even though I missed seeing my friends in The Flatliners, I wasn’t too upset, because I was really pleased with The Measure’s performance. The intensity of the album, to me, peaks with the words “Bury me where I live in the underground”. Something that I really respect about this band is that, the more I’ve been exposed to their history, is that they have always made a point to remain loyal to their fans and are content with their position in the “underground”. For every mainstream band, there are a dozen “underground” bands that deserve the attention, but not many can say that they are truly content in being a part of that scene indefinitely. There is definitely more to say about this album, but I love it so much that some times I think it is better served to be heard. I implore anyone who has an interest in punk rock, rock, pop punk rock, and FEMINISM (coughcoughyoureouttheregrrrrlsrule) to download this immediately.

new music.

Our friends in the BRAVE LITTLE ABACUS are nearing the completion of their 7"

which will be coming out on Cat Dead, Details Later

run by members of Portsmouth, NHs Billy Raygun!

You can get a preview of their song "For Geon" HERE!

this is roughly how I reacted when hearing zach's solo part in this song...

new events.

02/19/11 - Club Oasis - Worcester, MA - $10

REACH THE SKY / MOUNTAIN MAN / FROGBALL (REUNION)/

SOUL CONTROL / BEARTRAP / GOLDEN GIRLS

02/25/11 - Outskirts House - Brighton, MA - ALL AGES - Donations

MIKEY ERG! / JEFF ROWE / DAN WEBB / JOEY UNIS