friends.

friendszine mixtape vol. II

2012-02-20T14:18:00.000-08:00

spring 2012
matty pop chart - everyone does everything
black wine - through the foam
kimya dawson - twentieth century fox fanfare
dillinger four - maximum piss & vinegar
bikini kill - carnival
for science - soledad
julie ruin - the punk singer
norah jones - jesus, etc.
the sidekicks - grace
the weakerthans - the reasons
punch - do it yourself
big eyes - pretend to care
good luck - all good people
jonathan edwards - everybody knows her

LISTEN NOW AT SPOTIFY
[mediafire available upon request]

i will share my thoughts on these songs in my FIRST
physical copy of friendszine due out Spring 2012
I am pleased to announce that I am almost finished with all my layouts
and will be printing very very soon!

01.28.12 - goodbye brave little abacus

2012-01-31T07:49:00.000-08:00

james gentile photo graphy

record of the year 2011

2012-01-18T19:36:00.000-08:00

SIT RESIST - LAURA STEVENSON AND THE CANS

I was first exposed to this perpetually underrated songwriting through the first bomb the music industry release album minus band. The song FRRREEEEEEEEE BIIIIIIIRRRRRRD!!! FRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEE BIIIIIIIIIRRRD!!!! caught my attention in a way that I couldn't describe. It wasn't till my obsession forced me to scour the liner notes when I realized that the x factor that made this song different than the others was an unfamiliar name, Ms. Laura "LSteve" Stevenson. For me, the release of sit resist means more than the songs which it contains, it speaks to the constantly inspiring relationship I've built with these wonderful people since I first wondered why Freebird stood out. Shortly after I entered college, the cans debuted "a record" on quote unquote records. This wasn't anything like the previous releases of qur, there was something familiar about this, but the use of simplicity was not. it was minimalistic, and refreshing, descriptors I rarely pair together. The recording was lo-fi, but not in the way that people usually set out to create, you can so clearly hear the sincerity. I think this is what causes most people to latch on to the music, and one of the many reasons I've grown to love these characters. My band first played with Laura and the Cans, alongside The Brass and Sean Bonette of Andrew Jackson Jihad, in support of Bomb the Music Industry's release of their album Scrambles. At this time, it made no sense to us as to why we would play with any of those groups on an individual basis, let alone on such a beautifully unique bill. Not to mention that the first time I listened to Scrambles, I started bawling somewhere around the wonderful contribution of Laura to the track Sort of Like Being Pumped. These were the harmonies as a first year music student, I would die to write. The stark difference of Jeff and Laura's voices, just made so much sense. Just as their split seven inch did when they released it later that summer. I can't think of how many times I played that seven over and over after purchasing it from Laura after they played the very first set of my first fest (8). I introduced myself and reminded her that we played together at their first Boston show, and she'd been across the whole gosh darn country with bomb and andrew jackson jihad since then. She was glad to be reacquainted as I struggled to express what that set or her music made me feel. I couldn't describe it, still sometimes I can't, as I affirm that they are a perpetually underrated band. The opening track to the bomb/laura split halloween 1 + 2, opens sit resist in a way that i find to be so appropriately re-recorded, as it really shows they leaps and bounds they had made since a record. Somewhere along the line, my band was in the studio under the production of Mr. Jeff and he mentioned that he was gonna play pretty regularly with the cans and that they'd be looking for some dates up our way pretty soon. This same night was the first time that my best friend adam played me brave little abacus's - masked dancers. I sat in the roxbury loft of Mr. Steve Foote as I heard I see it too for the first time, though I had heard a demo on a cd that adam had handed me after the scrambles release show. That was one of three tracks that I played endlessly. I can recall giving him sarcastic responses like "10 minutes.. really?? what are you guys a jam band or something". This is pertinent to my tale because this was when our lives both seemed to radically shift as though we suddenly shared the same aspirations. Of course we both aspire to be punk rock stars, but it just made so much sense to the both of us to book a date for the cans each. That weekend was such guilt free fun, and to this day still some of my favorite cans sets, that contain my earliest memories of the songs on sit resist. I couldn't help but feel like a groupie when I showed up to my third cans show in a row at "the castle" at brandies university. The night before, I'd convinced them to play pixies "wave of mutilation", they agreed- only on the condition that I brought my guitar and sang along with them. This being my favorite song at the time, and the cans being a contender for my favorite band, I couldn't be opposed to the idea. Fast forward to October of '10, I break my wrist just weeks before attending my second fest. When I awoke from surgery, I wasn't allowed to take pain killers quite yet and the drugs were starting to wear off as I struggled to hold back my uncontrollable tears. The thought of not being able to attend fest crossed my mind, the pain was truly settling in as I sobbed to my mother about how this was potentially the worst moment of my life. She insisted that I would be fine, and assured me that I would be given painkillers soon. I asked for my Ipod and I frantically searched for something but not just anything would suffice. I played "a record", and sobbed, now for multiple reasons. The comfort that this record offered, was so hauntingly beautiful. The next time I saw Laura, was The Wild's set at fest 9 (the first of that weekend). I couldn't believe how excited she was to see me, and I wondered what I did to deserve such wonderful people in my life. It took all weekend to come around to tell laura and mike my experience in that hospital bed. As again in such a cyclical fashion, I was in Gainesville trying to describe what this music meant to me and I was at a loss for words. At this point, most of the songs on sit release were in full rotation and I knew them by heart. I saw them a handful of times between then and the release and every time they brought more progress. Soon they would announce that Don Giovanni Records would put out the still untitled record and shortly after that I downloaded the first single "Master of Art" on the lables yearly sampler. This brought me back to brandies as we discussed pursuing our individual degrees, and trying to find the beauty in the mundane institutionalized study of art history and music. Now the cans were amongst company that I saw fit, certainly some of my favorite artists. In February of 2011, I caught another 3 cans shows, reaffirming the cyclical nature of my relationship with them. February was a particularly rough month for me emotionally. Those shows were certainly sparing moments. The first night at the Great Scott in Allston, I stood at the side of the stage when the cans played "peachy" for one of the first times. Laura looked to me for confidence, as I saw the uncertainty in her eyes. It was something that slowly I started to understand as I realized how vulnerable she was playing in that bar, especially in sections where she isn't backed by her band. It brought me back to the words of freebird, and really what it means to be a girl with a guitar in a bar playing to please mostly drunk people. Sometimes its hard for me to fully realize stage fright, but in situations like these it is quite obvious. The next show was at the university of new hampshire with bomb, bla and billy raygun, where a good number of college students heckled to play songs that were inappropriate, knowing the band. Not to say that naivety was the whole issue, but lets just say some things happen when certain people go off to college for the first time. The performances were stellar both of these nights, but the atmosphere not so much. Though there was a rather adventurous entrance to hotel room 311 later, that I'd say spared that night. The toughest thing about these two shows, was the fact that I could see them on a steady rise, while the attention they deserved struggled to catch up. But what made things come full circle was the third night in their native Brooklyn,New York- As one of the most prominently billed acts on the don giovanni records showcase. It was here that I saw them in their element, playing for their family and friends, and a near full room who for the most part held onto every note they played. Though I ventured down solo, I returned with my friend liz pelly who had worked previously with joe, who runs don giovanni. Liz was someone whose ability to connect with people over music, I have always been envious of. Needless to say, I was nervous for this five hour car ride. As soon as we got in the car, she suggested that we listen that we listen to the advance copy of sit/resist that she'd gotten from joe. This was the first time that I heard this record. I sat there and soaked in each track, realizing how each of them spelled out such distinct memories for me. Every time I listen through I recall each one so vividly, the good and the bad. I truly am honored to know these people, and so grateful that they have played such a positively motivating and comforting role in my life, musically and personally.

top LPs of 2011 pt. 2

2012-01-03T11:38:00.001-08:00

ALGERNON CADWALLADER - PARROT FLIES
philly kinsella worshipers have done it again, all while making this sound more of their own on their sophmore release. for those who worried about the loss of their second guitarist, and the interwoven dynamic that provided- have no fear. the first full length offering of this reborn trio is as full as ever, if not more. this self produced and release masterpiece may not have come up on the popular spectrum, but this group is certainly beloved amongst the org crowd. this group hit me around a time when cap’n jazz was one of my favorite groups, making it hard to decipher what they were striving for. was it a tribute? was it a hack? all I knew is that their debut, “some kind of cadwallader” was played over and over for some indescribable reason. what really makes their follow up beautiful though, is their ability to maintain a similar energy through the wielding of their own production. this band has always had such an expansive sound to me, and have managed to maintain that with the loss of a member. not to mention, that their live set is one not to be missed. as good luck guitarist matt tobey anticipated in this release with a statement to if you make it dot com, whether they are crowdsurfing or being crowdsurfed on, this group manages to pull off their intensely complicated song structures flawlessly. all adorned with a cut paper parrot, in continuing tradition of their first release, algernon remains a consistant fixture as they find their own roots within the kinsella realm.

SPRAYNARD - FUNTITLED
another three piece that totally caught me off guard this year was this group. after listening to the familiar sounds of cut and paste, i made a deduction simimilar to many other people i have related to. this group draws heavily from the fast paced, heartfelt pop punk, that has become a staple of the east coast, especially with the help of bands such as latterman and the bands that they spawned. sometimes familiarity is offputting and although their first release didn’t necesarily grab me, I knew upon being signed to asian man records, that their second release would be one that garnered great ammounts of attention. after missing them at this years smash it dead fest, just days after our mutual friend mitchell dubeys untimely death, i was quite devistated. mitch was someone who always inspired me to listen to music in a new light, to embrace old traditions whilst breathing life into it with enthusiasm. soon after, i was able to catch them at get better fest in keene, nh as the headlining act. It wasn’t till then, that I really got what this band was all about. After two full days of a sometimes monotonous breed of punk rock, spraynard hit me with their notoriously short and energetic set. at the close of the fest, as i stuck around to help some friends break down, i was approached by bassist mark. we had a really refreshing conversation, because for once someone in a band was interested in talking to me as an enthusist and not as someone who they saw as a stepping stone to the next peak in their career. its nice when you meet sincere people, that honestly love what they are doing, to the point that they just appreciate the people they meet, no matter what they stand for. in the next few days, they released funtitled on one of my favorite labels if you make it. that morning started the onslaught of my repetition, and it lasted throughout the entirety of the summer. great honest dudes, great energy, doing things for the right reasons, what more can you ask for?

ANDREW JACKSON JIHAD - KNIFE MAN
sean and ben are just two guys who can never seem to dissapoint me. on their third asian man full length, they take the aesthetic they approached with the hand of jeff rosenstock in their last record and push it even further. though there is musically not a whole lot of new territory, it is the energy and unique lyricism that carries this release as always. i’m really glad that this duo has become more comfortable re-approaching the full band context because these songs really do give this release the propper weight that allows the acoustic tracks to breathe. Songs like “hate rain on me”, recall such influences as defiance ohio and this bike is a pipe bomb, while the acoustic tracks really bring together a whole realm of popular music that is addressed in a folk context. the melodies are catchier than ever, and I’m really glad that there has been more liberty with overdubs in this release. because although the early acoustic albums still stand up, there is something that I love about the aditional statements made. whether it be the uniquely simple guitar solos or the kazoo acompaniment, i think these aspects really give this band a new life, with broader horizons. but what really makes this songwriting beautiful, is as always, these songs stand on their own and are a testament to the chemistry of these two empathetic humans.

FUCKED UP - DAVID COMES TO LIFE
fucked up has been a band that I’ve been exposed to for a number of years, but unfortunately haven’t really consumed until this release. i’d heard their praise coming from all corners of the musical world and i’d read and appreciated their statements on the music industry in regards to the south by southwest music festival. i will admit, that after downloading all 80 minutes of this release, i was a bit skeptical that it would grasp my attention in its entirety. but some of my friends whom i trust their musical taste the most, enlightened me to the operatic function of this album and insisted that i listen. it really did glaze over me at first, as one almost monotonous statement that seemed a bit too familiar for this aesthetic. but once i was able to actively listen, i heard something else. three simultaneous guitars, that I didn’t really hear until I used headphones for the first time. then, these grandiose and sometimes overbearing walls of guitars were given a new individual regard. what i initially took as a basic chord functions, standard in rock music, were seen in their atomic element as 4 individual parts that all served a purpose in this epic. once i understood this, as well as the record’s breath in four movements, it all made sense. though it can easily be mistaken for a pretentious act, fucked up knows just what they are doing. it’s not necesarily an acquired taste, but you need to understand the artists intention before it can resonate, and I can certainly appreciate that.

AMPERE - LIKE SHADOWS
15 songs in less than 15 minutes, seems like a gimmick right? wrong. Though this release is certainly one of the most intense releases that I believe hardcore has seen all year, it is also the one that seems indescribable. So I implore you to just listen, and this might make sense.

top LPs of 2011 pt. 1

2012-01-01T13:21:00.000-08:00

GOOD LUCK - WITHOUT HESITATION
in a world where three pieces often seem barren and hollow- good luck stands to prove this as untrue. their sophomore lp shows that they have much to offer since their last full length, into lake griffy, which since soon after its release has been played constantly by my friends and myself. i often worry about bands living up to their first release, especially when I have so much invested in their first recorded sentiments. but as i was getting ready for the fest 10, they announced that alternative press was hosting a stream of the album. in quite a giddy state, i listened to the opening notes of “all good people”, which to me is holds ground against the opener of griffy which is a favorite of mine. matt tobey, is a character whose playing and lyricism certainly resonates with me and his character shines so brightly throughout this album. unfortunately i wasn’t able to catch their set at fest, as I'd seen them over the summer and hadn’t seen dillinger four in a few years. but, in a conversation with my friend bryan who was running merch for bomb the music industry, i mentioned that i knew picking up this record was definitely one of my highlights of fest and it was only saturday. mid sentence, i see matt look up - locking eyes with me, and with the completion of my sentiment, he reciprocates with the nicest most sincere smiles i’ve ever seen. my intention wasn’t for him to hear, but this was certainly an image that stuck with me as i dropped the needle upon my return to boston. the entire release exceeded my expectation and this band continues to give me that warm feeling that it always has. if only they knew how many wide eyed, ear to ear smiling singalongs i’ve had set to the soundtrack of their music.

POLAR BEAR CLUB - CLASH BATTLE, GUILT PRIDE
i think everyone is familiar with that band that constantly puts out solid releases, but it always takes a few listens for anything to hit you or even stand out at all. polar bear club was constantly that band for me, while each release had those stand outs like “living saints”, accompanied by a rather unique video, not a whole lot stuck otherwise. even after seeing them last year, i couldn’t really say that their music would be something i’d find myself returning to repeatedly. but still, i jumped on this release as soon as i saw it was out, hoping that this would bridge the gap in my listening experience. i distinctly remember starting this album on an early commute to school this semester. the opening track “pawner” captured me immediately, taking what seemed to be more of a dramatic opening than i’d heard in the past. often, dramaturgic endeavors can be off-putting for me. but in this, i heard threads of what i saw their labelmates past and present pushing towards. Making what could’ve stayed a rather stagnant staple “hardcore”, dynamic and harmonious much like lemuria is doing for the label now and crime in stereo sought to do until their demise. the album in its entirety grabbed me unlike any of their others, and I think it stands as one of the most unique releases that bridge nine records has put out. though I was only to catch a few of their songs at fest due to pure exhaustion- they played most of the songs that I wanted to hear with such amazing attention-grabbing energy and the crowd reacted so positively. I really hope that this record continues to expose them to the crowds they deserve.

BOMB THE MUSIC INDUSTRY - VACATION
anyone that knows me, knows that bomb has been my soundtrack since i was in highschool. each album grabbing me in such an intensely unique way. first getting to know this band on the tail end of their support of their last jeff-only record, i’ve watched this band face the adversities of trying to make their music live up to the record as they made the switch from many programmed sounds and instruments weilded by one person with a vision. anyone that hasn’t witnessed an anxiously drunken bomb the music industry set, doesn’t have the insight that gives their more recent performances a proper contrast. To see this band grow from a rambling cast of interchangeable characters, to a cohesive group which offers such a beautiful statement of the sum of each individual member. anyone who complains that there is no “ska” on this record, doesn’t understand that bomb the music industry was never a ska band just as the clash were never a ska band. Its certainly hard when each bands release speaks to a certain part of your life, and forces you to recall those moments good and bad, to expect this to happen with each release. But as I’ve gotten to know these people more and more over the years, this release really speaks to my actual relationships with each member and the bitersweet memories I have watching this band find themselves to be widely recieved. This year, they have been asked to open for the Mighty Mighty Bosstones. Though my friends have been in this position before, this is something that never would’ve crossed my mind when my band first played with them at the Great Scott when I was a senior in high school. Its wonderful to see this band grow to see the reception they’ve always deserved, but I’ll always remember these moments that I’ve spent with these people and their music in a detatched sense seperate from their reception. Because there are few bands more personal to me.

DEAD TO ME - MOSCOW PENNY ANTE
In the past year, the sounds of dead to me haven’t been far from my ears for long. Up to the point that this record was released, their first two lps were in constant rotation and especially their little brother ep which was one of the most infectious releases i consumed this year. It’s one thing to appreciate a band, but when you find yourself constantly playing their songs again and again, its an unmistakable feeling. This was a band that I hadn’t seen live until this year, but their albums have been resonating with me for quite some time, and the studio setting was my only experience with them. One of the things that I found most striking about this band is that they’ve needed to reapproach their sound each time they lost a member due to personal reasons. Their last seven inch, was until this release, the only captured version of this current lineup and I have to say, I don’t think it stood up to any of their previous releases. So I was somewhat worried about the release of this record and it’s consistency specifically. Before its release, I read a number of reviews that stated that this record was delivered with a similar energy to 2006’s Cuban Ballerina, which struck me in a way that left me perplexed as to why i didn’t hear it until a few years after its release. With the addition of Sam of New Mexican Disaster Squad, VRGNS and No Friends, the group tastefully reflects the input of their original vocalist while pushing their sound into new boundaries.

Fest 10- Gainesville, FL

2011-11-20T22:30:00.000-08:00

Friday - October 28th
Tigers Jaw
Magrudergrind
Kid Dynamite
Banner Pilot
Hot Water Music
We Are the Union
Polar Bear Club

Saturday - October 29th
Armalite
Paul Baribeau
Grabass Charlestons
RVIVR
Iron Chic
Bridge and Tunnel
Dead to Me
Paint It Black
Youth Brigade
Dillinger Four
Lemuria
Screaming Females
Against Me!
Bomb the Music Industry!

Sunday - October 30th
No Friends
The Dopamines
The Flatliners
Dead Landlord
A Wilhelm Scream
Mikey Erg
The Measure (sa)
Less Than Jake

Monday - October 31st
HOLIDAY INN AFTER PARTY
Bomb the Music Industry! as The Weakerthans
The Flatliners as Rocket From the Cript
Comadre as At the Drive In
The Arteries as AC/DC
DANCE PARTY

2011-11-07T20:00:00.000-08:00

r.i.p. the measure [sa]

2011-10-13T21:50:00.000-07:00

screaming females -mideastup 10/12

new events. summer 11.

2011-05-31T13:55:00.000-07:00

06/03-05 HILLSTOCK MUSIC FESTIVAL

06/07 Comcast Center - Mansfield, MA

PHISH

06/08 Toads Place - Hamden, CT - ALL AGES

AGAINST ME! / LEMURIA / SCREAMING FEMALES

06/09-12 BONNAROO MUSIC FESTIVAL

06/13 O'Briens - Allston, MA

BILLY RAYGUN / RATIONAL ANTHEM / THE NEW WARDEN

06/14 Slaughterhouse 5 - Dover, NH - ALL AGES

BIG EYES / BILLY RAYGUN / RATIONAL ANTHEM

06/28 Middle East Upstairs - Cambridge, MA - ALL AGES

BOMB THE MUSIC INDUSTRY! / CHEAP GIRLS

07/09 Slaughterhouse 5 - Dover, NH - ALL AGES

HUNCHBACK (REUNION) / BLACK WINE / MIKEY ERG

BILLY RAYGUN / THE YOUNG LEAVES / MORE?

07/14 Middle East Downstairs - Cambridge, MA - ALL AGES

RX BANDITS / MAPS AND ATLASES

07/23 Comcast Center - Mansfield, MA - ALL AGES

311 / SUBLIME W. ROME (SORRY HAD TO LOL)

07/30 Great Scott - Allston, MA 18+

EL TEN ELEVEN / TERA MELOS

08/07 Great Scott - Allston, MA 18+

JOAN OF ARC

08/09 Comcast Center - Mansfield, MA - ALL AGES

BLINK 182 / MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE / MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA

08/15 Ezra's - Portsmouth, NH - ALL AGES

THE DOPAMINES / NEW CREASES / BILLY RAYGUN

08/16 Starlab - Sommerville, MA

THE DOPAMINES / NEW CREASES

HILLSTOCK 2011

2011-05-31T13:34:00.000-07:00

this weekend i will be attending the first day of the hillstock music festival put on by friend alex billig (goat) in his native brooklyn, ny. my brother is graduating on saturday so I will have to come home for this momentous occasion, but friday is packed with wonderful artists.

for more information go to http://www.neverbreakdown.com/hillstock/

summer is starting to settle in and it feels wonderful.

cinco de mayo, roughly 3:11 am

2011-05-05T00:07:00.000-07:00

I'm learning not to make poor excuses for myself because now, I have to be a responsible adult. I'm coming close to graduating college and there is a lot that I have to think about. I've been given a pretty immense opportunity. With my money, I am going to be investing in a house where I will live with my best friends. In this space, we will be able to explore ourselves creatively in ways we never have before. It sounds silly being put like that, but it's true. Over the past few years, I've been steadily drawn into an underground music scene that has taught me how I can express my thoughts on music in so many different ways. Now I will finally have a space where my friends and I can do this together.The task is surely daunting, as this investment is life changing. But I haven't felt so right about something in such a long time.

School is tough, but my courses have had an unexpected amount of resonance lately. I can feel what I have accomplished in the past four years, and I feel really good about it. Singing with the university chorus as well as the chamber singers has been quite inspiring. The feeling of knowing that I can actually call pitches is quite an eerie thing, that I never imagined doing. Something I want to do is have a free choir, no auditions much like the university chorus [see also: kimya dawson's olympia free choir] I don't have an advisor- I have had very few juries- I need to talk to someone, but it scares me. I'm not concerned with the fact that I wont finish school in four years- neither are my parents.

I jumped the gun a little bit with the physical zine and I'm disappointed about that. But what I realized, is that I need to make the first issue really count, so it's going to be a bit longer. I have a lot of content to use but still a lot to collect. I want people to read this and enjoy it, so I am going to put a good effort into making sure that happens. I think a good goal would be to have a quarterly zine, one for every season, and shoot to have the first one out by summer. I am proud of my friends and what they do, so I want people to see it! Hopefully by the time that the fall comes around, we will have a fully operating zine factory in our basement, as well as a screenprinting studio and much much more!

As far as projects to be determined go... I've been putting a lot of thought into the completion of interrobang's much delayed album. But one thing that I can't understate is that I'm glad that we've taken this time because I have learned so much from this whole process and I would never regret it. Sure it would've been nice to have it out two summers ago, but I knew so much less than. In the time that interrobang has been on its hiatus, my views on underground music have shifted radically. Not only that, but the way that I relate to people through music has completely changed. This has in turn made me reassess the reasons I play music with people and given it a whole new meaning in the best way possible. I miss playing music with interrobang, and I really hope that we can do it again soon. As far as the album goes, my personal goal is to have it out by this summer.

All the while I am keeping myself occupied with writing new songs of my own, and even playing them out every so often, which is quite exciting. I've realized that some musicians just need more than one project just so they can mutually survive off of each other. I love playing heavy music, but at the same time some of the music that has the most profound impact on me is of a completely polar opposite quality. Tim Kasher needs his Good Life to keep the balance of Cursive. It's a really interesting thing to think about, but I'm glad that I've been able to put my finger on it. Something that I will be able to work on extensively in my new house will be recording, which makes me really excited. I envy certain friends who have that ability to express themselves through their own recording, which is something i've never really been capable of. But through the process of recording the interrobang full length, thoughts and observations on production and engineering have piled up, and I'm really happy about how my ears have grown in that way.

friends zine the blog spot is by no means dead. what happened, is that I fully realized what it really takes for me to do what I had previously envisioned, takes much more time than I thought. Sometimes you can't just rely on people for content unless that person is yourself, in which case I am an awful procrastinator and school doesn't help much at all. Here I go with the excuses, I knew they would come somewhere. Time is what I need to do this, and I really would love for people to contribute! Check the about section for my email and get in touch! Once I finish school I will likely be posting on here pretty regularly and hopefully the physical friends zine will finally manifest. Going to see the Measure's last brooklyn show on saturday with Adam and Chet. I am so excited about this!! Hopefully I will be able to review that soon.

happy cinco de mayo
-colin

friend: james gentile

2011-04-05T16:29:00.000-07:00

I met this ol' boy in the spring of 2006
and started playing music with him soon after.
His latest endeavors aside from supplying the low end to Shire,
when he isn't away at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn
I believe, in my honest opinions
are some of his best works since i've known him.
This is the pure James Gentile experience
and I am really glad he has been expressing himself in this way.
When we played music together sometimes his statement would be sacrificed
for the sake of keeping together a 7-13ish? piece ska punk band
who just couldn't handle the complexity plain and simple.
Our brains weren't ready for what he was writing,
but now you can experience the genius unfiltered.
Here James plays his newest composition in his native Brooklyn, enjoy!

also if you were wondering what how this boy came to be...

FZ Mixtape - Vol. 1

2011-03-28T19:27:00.000-07:00

Friends Zine Mixtape Vol.1 by csbriggs

new events.

2011-03-28T16:44:00.000-07:00

04/01 Wacky Kastle - Allston, MA - All Ages

LUAU / TMF / THE INHALERS / PINK PARTS

04/03 Madison Arts Barn - Madison, CT - All Ages

THE FLAMING TSUNAMIS / CALL IT ARSON /

MY HEART TO JOY / SLINGSHOT DAKOTA / BRUNT OF IT

04/15 Dos Amigos Burritos - Dover, NH - All Ages

BRAVE LITTLE ABACUS / SHIRE

04/16 Outskirts House - Brighton, MA - All Ages

THE FELLOW PROJECT / GO SELL DRUGS

THE NEW WARDEN / YALE, MA

04/23 TT The Bears Place - Cambridge, MA - 18+

LEMURIA / JOYCE MANOR / WHITE WIVES

04/30 Outskirts House - Brighton, MA - All Ages

KILL CONRAD / BABY GRAND / CANVAS / JAKE JENKINS

05/11 Middle East Upstairs - Cambridge, MA - 18+

LAURA STEVENSON AND THE CANS / FAKE PROBLEMS

INTO IT OVER IT / POMEGRANATES

05/13 Club Hell - Providence, RI - All Ages

A WILHELM SCREAM / NO TRIGGER / OUTRAGE /

HALF HEARTED HERO / GHOSTTHROWER

05/19 Dover Brick House - Dover, NH - 18+

THE QUEERS / BANNER PILOT

05/21 Wilder Hall - Hingham, MA - All Ages

SHIRE / BRAVE LITTLE ABACUS / JACKSON CROW

JOE CAPEN / TRAVIS SOMERS / CHRIS O'GRADY / MORE

05/22 Middle East Downstairs - Cambridge, MA - All Ages

CONVERGE / DROPDEAD / BURNING LOVE / TRAP THEM

how do you contribute?

2011-03-16T17:46:00.000-07:00

NAME: Jovani Villegas

AGE: 19

CURRENTLY RESIDING: I live in Allston

CURRENT PROJECTS: Currently playing guitar in a new band called Fragments that I started with my friends Joe and Anthony from The Town Line and Zack who drummed for Ghost I’m Gone.

PREVIOUS ENDEAVORS: I played bass in a pop punk band from Worcester, MA called Ghost I’m Gone

HOW DO YOU CONTRIBUTE? I like to book shows in my basements and at random venues all over, let bands crash at my place and help however I can, and book acoustic shows for solo acoustic acts that wanna come by.

SOMETHING YOU ARE PROUD OF: Well in November I had a show in my basement where Brave Little Abacus, Shire, Ghost I’m Gone, and Len Bias played and it was in support of rallying up donations to independently start a newspaper/zine sort of thing on our campus and freely spread student creative and academic writing called “The Intoxicated Inquirer”.

WHAT HAS INSPIRED YOU TO CONTRIBUTE? I’ve always wanted to be involved and active in helping out music that I love by friends that I love and just helping goood bands and people making good music, so the fact that I was never able to before because I lived at home or in a dorm, now that I’m able to I have been much more inspired to contribute to promoting good music.

WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY LISTENING TO? I’ve been kind of switching between a two things but mainly it has been Latterman, Cheap Girls, Get Bent, and Paul Baribeau, that and a shit ton of Herb Alpert and Tijuana Brass.

test press.

2011-03-16T17:29:00.000-07:00

just finished my template and first test pressing of friendszine #1

waiting on some content, but should be available at the shire.bravelittleabacus.townline.fragments. show saturday!!

festing!

2011-03-16T15:13:00.001-07:00

there are a TON of music festivals this summer

so I figured I'd highlight a few that I've come across

Mostly punk rock, but a couple other big ones

MACROCK

4/1-2 Harrisonburg, VA

ALGERNON CADWALLADER / BOUNCING SOULS / THE MENZINGERS /

HOLD TIGHT! / SUNDIALS / SNOWING / 1994! / MONUMENT / PIANOS BECOME THE TEETH / WE WERE SKELETONS / SCREAMING FEMALES / MORE

GET BETTER FEST

4/8-9 Keene, NH

TOBY FOSTER / TRAGWAG / THE THIN HEIR / BILLY RAYGUN / THE YOUNG LEAVES / THE NEW WARDEN / CANDY HEARTS / SUNDIALS / VACATION / SPRAYNARD / JEFF ROWE / SAINTE CATHERINES / MORE

STAY SWEET! FEST

4/15-17 Richmond, VA

ALGERNON CADWALLADER / BOMB THE MUSIC INDUSTRY / THE DOPAMINES /

GROWN UPS / THE MAX LEVINE ENSEMBLE / THE SIDEKICKS /

SPRAYNARD / TIGERS JAW / THE WILD / MORE

KRAZY FEST

5/20-22 Louisville, KY

7 SECONDS / AGAINST ME! / ANTI FLAG / BANE / BOUNCING SOULS / DAYTRADER / DEFEATER / LA DISPUTE / LEMURIA / MAKE DO AND MEND / SMALL BROWN BIKE / STRIKE ANYWHERE / TIGERS JAW / TITLE FIGHT / MORE

B.O.M.B. FEST

5/28-29 Danbury, CT

WEEZER / SNOOP DOGG / COHEED AND CAMBRIA / GEORGE CLINTON AND PARLIMENT FUNKADELIC / AGAINST ME! / BEST COAST / RJD2 / TITUS ANDRONICUS / WAVVES / PORTUGAL THE MAN / DUM DUM GIRLS / DAN DEACON / MORE

CRUCIAL FUN FEST

6/3-5 Berea, KY

DELAY / THE SIDEKICKS / TIMESHARES / SUNDIALS / ANDREW JACKSON JIHAD / PINK HOUSES / P.S. ELIOT / LAURA STEVENSON AND THE CANS / HOP ALONG / CANDY HEARTS / THE MAX LEVINE ENSEMBLE / THE WILD / MISCHIEF BREW / KEPI GHOULIE / NEW CREASES / SPRAYNARD / MORE

BONNAROO

6/9-12 Manchester, TN

EMINEM / ARCADE FIRE / WIDESPREAD PANIC / BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD / MY MORNING JACKET / LIL WAYNE / STRING CHEESE INCIDENT / ROBERT PLANT / THE STROKES / THE DECEMBERISTS / IRON & WINE / PRIMUS / EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY / GOLGOL BORDELLO / BEIRUT / BIG BOI / BEST COAST / MATT & KIM / SLEIGH BELLS / WAVVES / OLD CROW MEDICINE SHOW / KYLESA / MORE

PITCHFORK FEST

2/15-17 Chicago, IL

ANIMAL COLLECTIVE / TV ON THE RADIO / FLEET FOXES /

CUT COPY / THE DISMEMBERMENT PLAN / DEERHUNTER /

OFWGKTA / KYLESA AND MORE

THE FEST

10/28-30 Gainesville, Fl

HOT WATER MUSIC / AGAINST ME! / LESS THAN JAKE / LIFETIME / BOUNCING SOULS / DILLINGER FOUR / NONE MORE BLACK / PAINT IT BLACK / SMALL BROWN BIKE / DEAD TO ME / OFF WITH THEIR HEADS / BOMB THE MUSIC INDUSTRY / DEAR LANDLORD / CHEAP GIRLS / THE MEASURE (SA) (FINAL SHOW), THE FLATLINERS / THE SNIPS / WE ARE THE UNION / GROWN UPS / TIGERS JAW / O PIONEERS!!! and MANY MORE

weekend update.

2011-03-09T18:33:00.000-08:00

2/25 Mikey Erg @ Outskirts House

The anticipation was unbearable on friday afternoon. My footprints in the new fallen snow showed how impatient i was for the show, as I paced back and forth waiting for the train. After meeting up with some friends in Allston amidst a flash snow storm, we took the bus out to Brighton. Outskirts House was a bit more accessible this time around, as all shows have been moved to the basement.The show started with Joey Unis of the band the BFs, with some acoustic renditions of his own songs as well as some cover songs.

The show continued with Jeff Rowe, who I'd previously seen with friends Laura Stevenson and the Cans at Great Scott. His energy was more apparent in this basement setting as he embraced the crowd with his gruff but tender vocals. The audience joined in on the songs that they knew and even added some harmony vocals which I assumed were from close friends of his, who were also at the show at Great Scott. Jeff closed his set with a song that just can't seem to escape the basements of Allston/Brighton, "Bikeage" by Descendents. Tigers Jaw covered this at the last Outskirts show and I felt like it was quite appropriate that this tradition continued as Jeff took this song on as his own and gave it new life. Dan Webb, normally backed by the Spiders, played a solo set as the acoustic music continued through the night. He brought a little more of a country rock twinge into the bill, which the audience seemed to enjoy. Not being familiar with his band, I had a hard time imagining these songs in that setting as they stood on their own very well. But I was certainly left with the urge to see Dan Webb with the Spiders.

Mikey Erg took the stage with very little commotion as he began to loop the opening chords of "Introducing Morrisey". Mike Erg otherwise known as Mike Yannich, was full of stories on this night. He was very open with the crowd as he encouraged them to move closer. He spoke of failed album release shows, as this show was supposed to be a release for his first solo single released on a 12" die-cut heart on Paper and Plastic records. Unfortunately he didn't have them with him, but he told the crowd that this wasn't the first time this had happened, as most of his album releases this was the case. He also told of his future endeavors which includes touring full time with the Star Fucking Hipsters featuring Stza of Leftover Crack, as well as a new split with Alex Kerns of Lemuria on Asian Man Records. Mike continued to play songs from his new 12", the future split, classic ergs songs as well as covers from Jonathan Edwards and Cee-Lo Green. It was great to sing along to these songs in such an intimate setting beside good friends. I look forward to what Outskirts House has to offer, and if you are curious look them up on facebook for future shows.

2/27 The Toasters @ Middle East Upstairs

This was kind of a last minute venture for me as I had remembered that my friend Logan was coming to town with The Toasters and asked if there was any chance of a guest spot. He returned my text promptly saying that he was planning to get a hold of me. It's nice to know that people are thinking of you sometimes, especially when it has been a long time. I first was introduced to Logan through his last band Royal City Riot, but was familiar with his playing from The Flaming Tsunamis record "Fear Everything". I got to the club just in time to catch the Allstonians who I have only seen once before, but It had been quite some time. They were quite impressive as usual with a more dominant horn section than I remember than before. They played some tunes that I recalled, and even got me dancing a little bit. The night was off to a good start but by no means did I expect what it would turn into.

I caught up with Logan a little bit before The Toasters went on and it was really great to see him, as it had been a few years since he'd played with Royal City Riot at Westbound Train's cd release show at the same venue a few years ago. The Toasters took the stage and the crowd responded immediately. The room exploded as one of the oldest collective mosh pits I'd seen in a while formed. Just about every one in the room was moving to countless songs, spanning their 30 year career as this marked their 30th anniversary. This band has seen many different members over the years, but this time around lead singer and sole original member Bucket was joined by members of local bands Westbound Train and Mile 21, which was cool to see.

I recalled a moment of my youth as my glasses were knocked off of my face while attempting to dance, and half of the floor assisted me in their retrieval. What a great feeling it was, as everyone in the room continued to dance. I was covered in sweat as usual as the show ended, but it was nice to be in the same position as many people my age for once. I caught up with Logan again after the show, and it was nice to reaffirm my friendship with him and know that he is still playing music for all the right reasons.

2/28 Paul Baribeau @ Mass Art

Kids started to pile up in front of classroom 181 and the doors were pushed back slightly. My friend Cash, who is a student at Mass Art said that the show would cap at around 65 which made me somewhat nervous as I waited for the E line amongst hundreds since there had been "difficulties" with the green line. Since I had friends who were coming from New Hampshire, I wanted to make sure they got in and began to worry a bit. I got to the show around the time it was slated to start and thankfully there weren't too many people there. Paul has a way of keeping his shows under wraps, which I think is a really cool and personal thing. This usually makes his shows a special thing.

The Poorest Saint took the stage after the crowded hallway filled the classroom and the people in attendance were eagerly awaiting the start. The Poorest Saint played a few songs which seemed to really connect with the crowd. He melded manic strumming and strained vocals which appropriately resonated as a great start to a wonderful show. My friend Vicky, who also was responsible for the show, played with the next band Parasol. A female dominant three piece pop punk band who embraced minimalism to their advantage. Despite a few technical difficulties, this band played quite well for a band who I believe are quite new band. Another solo performer,

The New and Very Welcome encouraged the audience to sit, and I think this really worked to her advantage. Her vocals resonated thoroughly throughout the room and captured everyones attention. I couldn't help but associate my reaction to her with the act of On The Might Of Princes who also portray a quite brooding version of emotional post punk? but with a larger instrumentation. A Saves The Day captured the attention of many and really got the crowd involved as she led the crowd in some crowd participation in her final songs. Following The New and Very Welcome was Lion Cub, an act that didn't really resonate with me only because of their mix. After listening to their recordings, I found that much of their accompanying drum and bass prerecorded tracks were drowned out by guitars and vocals. They had good ideas, but the fact that their female keyboardist and bell kit player was completely drowned out really bothered me. Watching her every move go unheard was quite a hard thing for me to watch, but her energy was certainly appreciated.

The acts that followed brought an unprecedented energy to the classroom which really unified the audience. The Boy Who Could Fly took perch on a cinder block to get a head on the audience and it really had a way of demanding attention. From what I understand, this is not usually a solo act, but I think that it was a very hard thing to tell. Her clear and crisp vocals beautifully accompanied her clear telecaster sound. It was nice to see her reach out to the crowd and be quite personable. I can only imagine she has taken cues from Paul in that regard, seeing that they are both residents of Bloomington, Indiana. Finally Paul took the stage and blazed through a number of songs from his newest self released album Unbearable. These songs have been gathered by Paul over the years, but were finally released last year. The majority of the crowd seemed familiar with Paul's work, which is always a great addition to the show because it gives a really overwhelming sense of unity. It seems as though, some of his older songs were still the more well known ones, but I guess that every performer strives for their songs to be lasting in a way. Although the crowd was a bit larger than his last performance in a Cambridge living room, he seemed to address the crowd in a humble manner. It was a great thing to see him in the company of my friends from New Hampshire, who began to appreciate Paul after I exposed him to them during our trip to The Fest. Paul pleased the crowd as always, and the show went off without a hitch. Much thanks to Vicky for putting on this show and continuing to make awesome shows like this happen in awesome spaces.

updates.

2011-03-09T17:54:00.001-08:00

So I'm kind of making up for lost time in the past couple weeks by posting a whole bunch today. I just have a few more days of school and I will be enjoying my SPRING BREAK!! WOO!

I posted my last album review in a series that I have been attempting to archive from a series I posted on tumblr. because I find that website does not cater to written work, as it gets lost amongst thousands of pictures of cute cats and things about Justin Beiber. I figured I'd put it here where people can expect that kind of thing in the future.

Hopefully if all goes well, the first NEW review will be from my good friend Adam Demirjian next week! Also, after I eat the wonderful roasted vegetable tamale that is waiting for me, I'm going to attempt a new section I call WEEKEND UPDATE which will encompass a bunch of recent shows I went to in short blurbs, because sometimes its hard to keep up with all of the good music YA KNOW?

REMEMBER! If you are interested in contributing, whether it be... Concert Reviews, Album Reviews, Photos, Flyers, Videos, Writing, YOU NAME IT!

I'D LOVE TO FEATURE IT!

PLEASE contact me @ colinstevenbriggs@gmail.com

review.

2011-03-09T17:40:00.000-08:00

The Ergs - Hindsight is 20/20 My Friend

2010 will be forever known as the year that my nerdrock dreams came true, as I experienced one of my all time favorite bands The Ergs! LIVE IN CONCERT!!! This album was released as a compilation of all their 7inches when they broke up two years ago. Unfortunately, though I’d been listening to that band for a while before they broke up I never got to experience them live. I was first exposed to the beauty of this compilation by my friend Lindsay Sanderson. When we were dating, this album was played constantly as she drove me back and forth from school. She was the first person to really get me into this band, and I am very thankful that she joined me on my pilgrimage to New Jersey to see them almost a month ago now. In the time leading up this concert, I had played their split with Lemuria which Adam kindly gave me as a gift a few months ago along with Lemuria’s “Ozzy” a number of times. It is the two songs from that split, “Introducing Morrisey” and a cover of the Gin Blossom’s “Hey Jealousy” that open this album. At this point, I honestly cant tell you how many times I’ve listened to these two songs in the past few months. It was during this time that I would be constantly reminded of the fact that I would never see one of my favorite bands, and I finally became comfortable with this fact after seeing Mikey Erg perform a solo acoustic set at the fest. In addition to this this appearance, Mikey also performed a Weezer cover with Bomb the Music Industry!, the “woahs” on Paint It Black’s “Shell Game Redux” and most importantly “Only Babies Cry” with Paul Baribeau, which The Ergs! cover of this is featured on 20/20. This song had a huge part in me picking up the acoustic guitar again and performing as a solo artist, as I performed it a few times over the past two years. Seeing these two perform this song together was such a significant thing for me to witness. After I returned from The Fest and was informed that The Ergs! were reuniting for a one time only cancer benefit, I was quite ecstatic to say the least. Unfortunately, my friend Holly Morrison told me soon after this that the tickets already went on sale and that they sold out in seconds. Again I was put back at square one, acknowledging that I may never see this band. Luckily, they added a matinee show and my cycle of utter confusion continued. The tickets were released in three installments this time and Holly and I attempted for the first time to no avail. The next day, my heart dropped as the clock struck 6pm and I was sitting in the basement computer lab of the UMass Boston library. As I listened to hindsight, a confirmation screen appeared in front of my eyes and I couldn’t believe what was happening. I had four tickets to see The Ergs! on their home turf at Asbury Lanes in Asbury Park, New Jersey! I took the time to breathe as I called my brother, Holly and Adam who was initially supposed to go before he found that he couldn’t attend due to schoolwork. In the weeks leading up to the event, I had a hard time realizing what was happening. It wasn’t until I walked down the boardwalk of Asbury Park, that I realized what was actually happening. Walking into the “Lanes” which is a bowling alley, utilized for concerts, I saw Mikey and things were put into perspective, I WAS SEEING THE ERGS! The band took the stage and began their set with “Books About Miles Davis” which was the first Ergs song I really fell in love with, also a part of this compilation. I performed this song alongside “Only Babies Cry” a number of times in 2009 and had an equal role in getting myself to explore my voice as a solo artist. The set continued with adequate selections from just about all of their albums which came to roughly forty songs total. I left the club drenched in sweat, in the same state of confusion that encompassed me when I had entered. In what seemed like a flash, I had finally witnessed one of my biggest influences in music and life. I can only hope that at some point I will be able to experience this band again, because I must say that it was life-changing.

getting physical

2011-03-09T16:49:00.000-08:00

In the process of cleaning my apartment, I broke out my scanner / printer in hopes giving me some inspiration to start working on the physical manifestation of this here blog. After realizing I had no scissors I decided to just mess around a bit. Here is a little mock up of something I did. It is really awesome to know that people are actually reading this thing and more and more people are coming to me with contributions which makes me very excited. My goal is to work on this over my spring break and have it released at the Shire and Brave Little Abacus show on the 19th. I'm really enjoying my input in this and I really hope you like the outcome

flyer by: adam demirjian [03.14.11]

2011-03-08T21:46:00.000-08:00

photos: lindsay sanderson

2011-03-08T21:22:00.000-08:00

02/25 MASSART

PAUL BARIBEAU

THE BOY WHO COULD FLY

LION CUB

THE NEW AND VERY WELCOME

PARASOL

THE POOREST SAINT

2/25 OUTSKIRTS HOUSE

MIKEY ERG

DAN WEBB

JEFF ROWE

new events.

2011-03-08T20:25:00.000-08:00

03/15 The Whiskey Problem - Providence, RI - $15 - Claddagh Fund

AGAINST ME! / OFF WITH THEIR HEADS

03/19 Phi Kappa Theta - Allston, MA - All Ages - Donations

SHIRE / BRAVE LITTLE ABACUS / THE TOWN LINE / FRAGMENTS

03/23 Wacky Kastle - Allston, MA - All Ages - $5

MATAHARI / LIFE AND LIMB / APART / WEAK TEETH

03/25 Problem House - Allston, MA - All Ages - Donation - Smash It Dead Fest

SPRAYNARD / RIDGEMONT / NOW DENIAL /

NEW CREASES / DELAY / LIBYANS

03/26 MassArt - Boston, MA - All Ages - Donation - Smash It Dead Fest

AMPERE / IRON CHIC / THE CREDENTIALS /

BIG EYES / CAPITAL / DEATH FIRST / MORE

04/08 Outskirts House - Brighton, MA - All Ages - Donation

SPANISH GAMBLE / HAVE NOTS /

KILL CONRAD / SINGLE FEMALE LAWYER

04/28 Lupos - Providence, RI - All Ages - $20

ALKALINE TRIO / AN HORSE / BIFFY CLYRO

05/15 Great Scott - Allston, MA - 18+ - $8

DEAR LANDLORD / THE SAINT CATHERINES / AWFUL MAN

tonight!

2011-02-27T16:34:00.001-08:00

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!

2011-02-25T14:53:00.000-08:00

and you could sing along...

special news + recent acquisitions

2011-02-25T14:27:00.000-08:00

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.

2011-02-16T23:47:00.000-08:00

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

2011-02-15T21:54:00.001-08:00

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.

2011-02-15T19:15:00.000-08:00

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?

2011-02-10T12:34:00.000-08:00

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.

2011-02-09T15:09:00.000-08:00

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

2011-02-08T17:34:00.000-08:00

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!

2011-02-08T16:29:00.000-08:00

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.

2011-02-01T22:38:00.000-08:00

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.

2011-02-01T22:15:00.000-08:00

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.

2011-02-01T21:42:00.000-08:00

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

flyer by: sara gunda [2.10.11]

2011-01-27T18:00:00.000-08:00

can't wait! great lineup!

upcoming events to look forward to!

2011-01-19T20:48:00.000-08:00

01/29/11 - Wonderland Ballroom - Revere, MA - ALL AGES - $12

TIGERS JAW / HOSTAGE CALM / O PIONEERS!!! / THE STEREO STATE /

LIFE AND LIMB / THE CLIPPERS / WOLF WHISTLE

02/09/11 - Great Scott - Allston, MA - 18+ - $8ADV/$10DOS

LAURA STEVENSON AND THE CANS / LARCENIST / DESTRY / JEFF ROWE

02/10/11 - University of New Hampshire - Durham, NH - ALL AGES - $5

BOMB THE MUSIC INDUSTRY! / LAURA STEVENSON AND THE CANS /

BRAVE LITTLE ABACUS / BILLY RAYGUN

02/11/11 - Death By Audio - Brooklyn, NY - ALL AGES - $7

THE STEINWAYS / THE MEASURE [SA] / BLACK WINE / FULL OF FANCY / BIG EYES

02/12/11 - Music Hall Of Williamsburg - Brooklyn, NY - 16+ - $10ADV/$12DOS

SCREAMING FEMALES / LAURA STEVENSON AND THE CANS /

SHELLSHAG / LEMURIA / BYRDS OF PARADISE

02/19/11 - The Democracy Center - Cambridge, MA - ALL AGES - $8

GOVERNMENT WARNING / NIGHT BIRDS / OMEGAS /

BOSTON STRANGLER / GREEN BERETS

retrospect: brave little abacus. at the silent barn.

2011-01-19T20:19:00.001-08:00

sunday january ninth.

i found myself traveling to brooklyn, ny

with my friends brave little abacus.

they performed with local group math the band.

this was my first exposure to a scene that I had only heard about, through the internet of all places! The space was quite beautifully designed with a very cohesive artistic direction.This opportunity for the brave little boys was made possible by friend alex billig

alex plays as a part of: laura stevenson and the cans

as well as the eskalators.

the cans have just finished their don giovanni debut and will be available soon!

here is a video of an unreleased song from brave little abacus's set

this song will be a part of their first seven inch;

which is in the process of being recorded

the rest of their music can be found at bravelittleabacus.bandcamp.com

shire.

2011-01-19T17:18:00.000-08:00

these friends hail from Hingham, MA.

they just put out their Penny Candy EP last fall

it can be downloaded for free here> shire.bandcamp.com

this featured video was shot by Connor Lynch in Hingham on December 23rd during an event called Barnaroo which raised money and collected food for local homeless initiative: Father Bill's

The music video for this song, "Melting Away" can be seen here

upcoming shows:

02/05/2011 - The Midway Cafe - Jamaica Plain, MA

friends.

2011-01-19T17:10:00.001-08:00

my friends do a lot of good things creatively.

i figured i would try to share.

i want this to manifest physically.

this is phase one.