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Interview with ’ Keith Murray

New York indie rockers by way of Berkley, Calif., We Are Scientists are one of those acts that aren’t afraid to push boundaries and try out different things. One song will be a Fugazi-tinged alt-punk scorcher while another can sound like a mainstream pop hit. They’re currently in the midst of “The Splatter Analysis Tour” with Floridian indie rockers and Roanake, Va., psych- act Eternal Summers. I had a chance to chat with guitarist and vocalist Keith Murray about working with Ash’s Tim Wheeler, America vs. The UK and a special little 7″ vinyl available at their shows.

Rob Duguay: On October 1, We Are Scientists will perform at The Sinclair in Cambridge, Mass., as part of “The Splatter Analysis Tour” with Surfer Blood and Eternal Summers. There will be a special joint vinyl that’ll be sold at the show as well. Can you tell us a little about what to expect from the 7″?

Keith Murray: “Distillery” was a song we wrote and recorded in the very early stages of writing TV En Français. We spent a day in a studio in London and recorded three or four songs as potential demos. As we kept writing for the , though, the tone of the record as a whole started to shift, and we didn’t quite feel that the songs we’d already tracked quite fit with the new batch of tunes we were working on. We really loved those songs though, and “Distillery” was our favorite of that batch, so we leapt at the chance to use it for something as cool as a split 7″ with the Surfer Blood gang.

RD: This past March We Are Scientists put out their fourth album, TV en Francais, which featured Ash’s Tim Wheeler on backing vocals as well as assisting in engineering the record with acclaimed producer Chris Coady. What was the experience like having Tim being part of the record?

KM: Tim’s pretty much the nicest guy in the world. Nobody who knows him would ever dispute this fact. I kind of always forget that Ash are such a massive deal everywhere in the world; that’s how nice he is. He and I are the only two members of the Zodiac Killers, a club we invented to celebrate our love of Selmer Zodiacs, probably the finest amplifiers ever made. Tim lent me his Zodiac to record TV En Français because mine, which he helped me acquire, was in storage in London. He’s a damn good man.

RD: As an band from America, We Are Scientists have had a very unique response to their music. In the United Kingdom, their past four have each made the charts and have gotten successful, where in America they’ve always had a keen underground following. From your experiences in both markets, what’s your impression of America vs. The United Kingdom when it comes to popular music? KM: I think that, especially at the time we released our first album, British radio was playing a lot more of the sort of music that we slotted into genre-wise. On US radio, we kinda had the Killers and Franz Ferdinand, but that was really all I could stomach. Radio in the UK was chock full of angular guitars and disco beats, and so we were able to get our collective foot in the door a little more easily. I think it’s telling that “After Hours,” the lead single from our second album, did a lot better in the States. It’s more of a straight ahead pop song than anything on . It feels like DJs in the UK are more comfortable getting weird and playing more-left field stuff than in the US, where, frankly, commercial radio pretty much just stinks.

RD: Has We Are Scientists ever considered moving to London to intertwine themselves with what’s happening in the UK?

KM: We thought about it for a while, and it does seem like it would make a lot of sense and be professionally helpful, but the fact of the matter is that we just love too much to ever really leave for good. We lived in London for a few months around the time that came out, and we had a great time, but you know what it really boils down to? The Mexican food in the UK is just not very good. At all. I’m not claiming that NYC’s Mexican restaurants are all that great, mind you, but man, ’s Mexican food situation is pretty shocking. I guess, in the UK, they got so busy perfecting their Indian offerings that they forgot to work on their tacos, and more importantly, their margaritas. Until they sort that situation out, we’ll be staying on Mexico’s continent.

RD: After this tour with Surfer Blood, what’s next?

KM: We’ve got a final European tour happening at the end of October, and then it’s back to work on our next record, which we hope to start recording at the beginning of next year. It looks like we’ve got a great producer on board, a guy we’ve wanted to work with for years, and we’ll probably record this one in again, which will be nice. So yeah, it looks like after this tour wrap we’re home for the foreseeable future, writing tomorrow’s greatest hits.

Any fan of weird and cool should try to catch one of their shows on the tour.

We Are Scientists’ website: wearescientists.com

Album Of The Week: The History Of Apple Pie’s Feel Something They say that you should never judge a book by its cover and the same should be said concerning a band’s name. What a group of musicians call themselves can either signify what they represent, what their music is about or maybe it’s just a cool name. An act from London with one of the most unique names ever — The History Of Apple Pie — has their sophomore release with Feel Something currently available and it’s great shoegaze indie pop. The guitars tickle the senses with rigid tones, are beautiful with simplicity and the vocals from Stephanie Min are the icing on the rhythmic cake. With an interesting name that sparks your sweet tooth, The History Of Apple Pie’s new album is truly delicious for your ears.

A solid attempt to describe the quintet’s sound is to imagine My Bloody Valentine and The Cardigans having a crazy orgy and out came The History Of Apple Pie. They first caught my eye with their debut album Out Of View that came out in January of last year and it’s hard for me to overlook a band with a name you don’t see every day. Much like their first release, Feel Something is very guitar-driven, with everything else giving it a velvety ganache of beats & rhythms. It’s lovely music from a band across the pond that are bound to blow up worldwide if they keep heading down the same path.

Pumpkin spice everything can be very redundant this time of year. People get so excited about it even though you can go to your local supermarket and buy the flavoring any time of the year. Maybe it’s because there is nothing like the real thing, but what do I know? What I do know is that it’s time for the top tracks off of my Album Of The Week. It might not be as festive as a autumn leaf-covered pumpkin patch, but it’ll definitely put you in the mood to celebrate:

There’s a lot of groove with “Ordinary Boy,” the guitars light it up from the get go and don’t stop until the very end. The drums add a nice touch by making it something you can dance to. The numerous solos in “Special Girl” is one of my favorite parts of the album with fantastic distortion all over the place that will leave you amazed. A similar distorted experience in the last track of “Just Like This” also shows a Britpop essence in the breakdowns.

The History Of Apple Pie are currently in the middle of touring The United Kingdom in support of Feel Something where they’ll be in Manchester at Gulliver’s on October 6. If you happen to be in the area go check them out. Hopefully they’ll come stateside and play in the New England area sometime soon. Until they come to your friendly neighborhood music venue, get yourself a copy of The History Of Apple Pie’s Feel Something. It’s a taste of what’s happening in merry old England with a little bit of fuzz.

The History Of Apple Pie’s website: thehistoryofapplepie.co.uk Interview with Sean Rowe

One cool thing about roots music is that it can be very wide ranged at times. The fusion of folk and blues leaves endless musical possibility and a wonderful example of that is Troy, NY, singer-songwriter Sean Rowe. Sean has put out a gem of an album this year with Madman and he’ll be headlining a show at the legendary Columbus Theatre in Providence with Haunt The House’s Will Houlihan on October 2. I had a chance to talk with Sean about his unique style of playing, the new album, his obsession with the woods and many other things.

Rob Duguay: On Thursday October 2, you’ll be performing at The Columbus Theatre in Providence. For people who are not familiar with your music, what can they expect to see from you on stage?

Sean Rowe: Well, I guess I would say that I’m primarily a solo performer, although I do occasionally play with a band. In Providence it’ll just be me on stage, so I kinda do this thing of a one man show as if the whole band is me. That’s the way I like to bill it.

RD: So it’ll be you with a guitar and kick drum?

SR: No I play through an amp. I like to split the sound up between the amp and the acoustics so it’s all one thing.

RD: A few weeks ago you released your fourth studio album with Madman. What I love most about the record is that you can sense a great range of influences. For example, “Desiree” sounds like something straight out of Motown, “My Little Man” is a classic ballad and “The Real Thing” is a mix between the tones of Muddy Waters and Creedence Clearwater Revival. What was your main vision when you were going into the studio to make the album?

SR: I wanted this one to have more of a direct sound to it. I wanted it to have more of an earthy, raw and muddy feel to it. My other records were a little bit more produced and with this one I co-produced it so I had a lot of say in how it went down in the arrangements and all that. There’s a lot of me involved in it and I just wanted it to be really grounded and really direct.

RD: You can definitely notice that in the tones of the guitar especially. You’ve were born and raised in Troy, NY, and still call that place along the Hudson River home. So often, a musician will leave his hometown to go to one of the big cities and engulf themselves into a widespread music scene. What has made you stay in Troy all of these years?

SR: I just like the area. I love upstate New York and I love the scenery. I’ve been going to the Adirondack Mountains ever since I was a kid and I also have family ties here. I grew up here and a big part of Troy to me is that all my friends and family are here.

RD: Whenever you play in Troy, do you have friends you haven’t seen in 20 years come to your shows and you’ll end up catching up on things?

SR: Yeah, there’s definitely some of that, especially when I’ve been out of town for a long time. A lot of these people have also been coming to see me ever since I started when I was a teenager so there’s a lot of that homegrown feeling.

RD: You also are an avid naturalist and you’re no stranger to hanging out in the woods. You go out and forage wild plants and you’ve even gone on survival quests in the wilderness. If you had to give me one of your craziest experiences from hanging out in the woods and looking for wild mushrooms and whatever else you could find, what would it be?

SR: One time I built this thing called a scout pit; it’s kind of like an underground shelter. It basically looks like a grave. You climb inside of it and you’re completely covered because the outside looks just like the ground because you’ve camouflaged it and you climb into this little doorway opening on the surface of the ground and you get underneath there. One time I did this in my backyard when I was younger and I slept in it. It’s completely black in there, you wouldn’t want to be in there if you’re claustrophobic, but it was really eerie hearing all of the animals walk right above me. It’s a very weird feeling being in the blackness down there, not everybody would want to do that. I felt kinda cozy that night but it’ll probably be a little strange for most people.

RD: As long as you’re cozy and comfortable, I guess that helps. Another thing that makes you a pretty unique individual and musician is that you recently did a house concert tour. What sparked the idea to embark on this particular endeavor? What was the nicest house you played in while being on this little tour?

SR: Well, I’ve never played in a not nice house. I basically booked this tour because I was feeling that there was going to be a lull in between two records and I didn’t know what to do with myself, quite honestly. So I figured that I’d do a couple house shows and I made a Facebook post to see who’d be interested and it turned out a lot of people wanted me to perform at their place. Not too many people have done tours just with house shows so I thought, “Man, this is weird but it feels right.” We had enough interest that we could book a whole nationwide tour of them and that’s what we’ve done since January. As far as the actual houses, I’d say that I just like the atmosphere, it doesn’t matter the space. I couldn’t care less if it’s a mansion or a shack, it just has to have a vibe. It’s the people who really make it and I’ve had the pleasure of playing for some great people, that makes all the difference.

RD: I can totally understand that. What can fans expect from you for the rest of 2014 and beyond after the show at The Columbus? SR: I’m just going to be pushing as hard as I can with the new album and I’m going to be really on the road for probably a long time — I’d imagine for the rest of this year and most of next year.

I highly suggest you come see Sean Rowe play The Columbus Theatre on Oct 2. If you’re a folk fanatic, a blues hound or someone who just likes , I guarantee there will be something for everyone to enjoy. Don’t be square and I’ll see you there.

Sean Rowe’s website: seanrowe.net

I Pity the Foo Who Misses Foo Fest

Taking over Providence and AS220 is the 18th annual Foo Fest. Saturday August 9, Empire Street will be turned into a summer block party with 12 hours of music, alternative art, performances, kid-friendly activities and plenty of food and drinks. Foo Fest highlights the creative and cultural scene that Providence has to offer, showcasing DIY technology with local artists and vendors.

Headlining this year’s Foo Fest is Psychic TV. Formed in 1979, the group is still led by original member Genesis Breyer P-Orridge. Psychic TV’s punk, psychedelic, electronic experimental twist is the kind of high-energy artistic style that Foo-goers have come to expect from the fest’s headliners. Genesis, alongside local screen print artist and mentor Ian Cozzens, is a recipient of Foo’s annual Free Culture Award. These winners are chosen based on the work they do that incorporates freedom of expression — they embody the organization’s uncensored and unjuried missions. The Free Culture recipients break boundaries in the cultural arts, paving the way for new art and artists.

Along with 22 other local and national musical acts on the main stage all day, there will be interactive activities for all ages. Hands-on arts and crafts for children, like jewelry making out of paper beads, will be available from 1pm until dusk. Some highlights for the big kids? Live screen printing, 3D printing from the staff of Make Magazine and info about October’s RI Mini Maker Faire, RPG game character compatibility testing, ceramic demos with kickwheel and handbuilding from The Steel Yard, and new this year, The Dream Reliquary. This participatory art installation incorporates audience members’ dreams and includes an animate GIF photobooth where you can experience an original polaroid shoot or take a few digital shots that will be turned into a GIF file that you can take home. Theatrical arts also get some love with a special performance from members of YASI Shakes at 87 Empire at 2pm. Join them to see pieces of Shakespeare’s As You Like It. Food trucks and vendors will be sticking around for the day and evening, giving a chance for vegans, vegetarians and carnivores to grub on items from Julians Omni Bus, Like No Udder, AS220 FOO(D) and many more. Mike D’s Top 5 Can’t Miss Shows of August

1. Monday, August 18: “Tunes on the Dunes” with Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds; Free!; 6 to 8pm; All ages; Westerly Town Beach. Here we are in August and once again summer is almost over. I don’t know about you, but I feel like I accomplished very little. I know nothing about this music series, but I know it’s very to close to the beach. Beach, outdoor music, one last chance at redeeming summer. Sister Sparrow are an eight-piece funk / soul act hailing from Brooklyn and seem like they would be perfect in at sunset. So where should one get dinner in Westerly? As a true Rhode Islander, I’ve never been — too far to not have a casino.

2. Tuesday, August 19: Arcade Fire, Antibalas, Dan Deacon; $40 and up?; 7pm; All ages; XFinity Center (GREAT WOODS), Mansfield, Mass. What price were tickets set at? No clue. Clicking on the venue’s site directs you to the Ticket Liquidator. Thanks for everything, Ticketmaster. Anyway, being a fan of Arcade Fire is much like being a fan of Kanye West in that you have to consistently be an apologist for their actions and words. And this tour has ruffled some feathers with the band’s instructions that patrons should wear formal attire or costume. I will be wearing my iron-on tuxedo t-shirt to the 15,000 plus Mansfield costume ball. The huge crowd should be an excellent contrast in high concept art piece meets suburb culture. Maybe I will dress up my red Solo cup for the parking lot as well.

3. Sunday, August 24: Motley Crue, Alice Cooper, The Raskins; Xfinity Center (GREAT WOODS), Mansfield, Mass. Finally, a farewell tour to Motley Crue. I have never been to a Crue show, and I most likely did myself a disservice by not seeing them in the heyday. Not entirely sure I recommend the show, but here’s notice to all those who, like me, did want to see them at some point. Regardless of it being 2014, Crue and Alice Cooper should deliver some fantastic circus-type atmosphere. And for all those who wish they had and still refuse to see them in 2014, I recommend reading The Dirt, the band’s first-person tell-all of their sordid and almost ludicrous adventures from humble beginning to the furthest thing from and on top of the rock world. It is the best autobiography of a rock band I have ever read hands down, and enjoyable regardless of whether you like the band or not.

4. Wednesday, September 3: DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist; $32; 7pm; All ages; , 15 Lansdowne St., Boston, Mass. The two best hip-hop turntablists of the ’90s/early 2000s are touring together for the first time since 2008. DJ Shadow broke into the mainstream with his 1996 debut full- length record Endtroducing, a masterpiece in samples and made Time Magazine‘s Top 100 All Time Albums (and my top 10 all time records as well). Cut Chemist came to popularity working with funk act Ozomatli and hip-hop act Jurassic 5 in the ’90s. The two collaborated on the 1999 self released Brainfreeze and 2001’s Product Placement. Both showcase not only the depth of their collective record collection with samples of obscure soul and hip-hop, but stand as the benchmark for the flux of mix artists to come. Do yourself a favor and pay the large cover for this one. 5. Sunday September 7th; Wavves; $16.50 advance / $20 day of; 6:30pm doors / 7:30pm show; All ages; The Met, 1005 Main St., Pawtucket. Psych surf punk stoner favorites Wavves return to Rhode Island for the first time in almost four years. They are playing a few dates on what seem to be warm-ups on their way out to Riot Fest in Chicago. Since their last time into town, they released Afraid Of Heights in 2013, a record that shows great leaps forward in song writing and recording, but still doesn’t entirely take itself seriously. The record grows on you with each additional play and spent the entire summer in my car player last year. Not only are Wavves one of my favorite bands of this decade, they are at their best live.

Album Of The Week: Field Mouse’s Hold Still Life

I’ve noticed bands dabbling in the style of shoegaze lately. An excellent example of this phenomenon is Field Mouse from Brooklyn — that melting pot of creativity. This gothic fuzz pop quartet have an album titled Hold Still Life out this week and it’s quite a jewel from the independent underground. Imagine if Depeche Mode, , Jesus & The Mary Chain and The Cranberries melded together. Field Mouse is the closest thing to that.

Field Mouse has a British alternative rock influence, separated from the norm by Rachel Browne’s exquisite voice giving a velvet sheen to the rigid tones. The album was self-produced with Kyle Gilbride from Philly act Swearin’ on mixing duties. The tracks form pictures in your mind and as the album goes along, a story influenced by the fast-paced lifestyle of living in The Big Apple unfolds. The emphasis of the guitars give Field Mouse’s sound a lot of energy.

As we approach the dreaded dog days of summer it’s important to cool off and relax. Do both by listening to the top tracks off my album of the week. Best with a refreshing beverage in hand, they’ll show you what’s good without making you break a sweat.

The opening number, “A Place You Return To In A Dream,” starts with monster bass licks and chords that display the beauty in simplicity. Old-school new wave with a nice edge, “Two Ships” makes you believe you’re in an ’80s discotheque when the synth kicks in. Deep and dark tones are abundant in “Happy.” This one rocks with reckless abandon and takes the amplification to a whole new level.

You can check out Field Mouse at Great Scott in Allston, Mass., on August 10, and they’ll be doing spectacular tour of the midwest and southeast United States in September with Prawn, Diamond Youth and A Great Big Pile Of Leaves. Hopefully they’ll come through Providence soon, but until then grab a copy of Field Mouse’s new album Hold Still Life. It’s another one of those awesome albums by a band you might not know much about, but pressing play could make you a fan.

Field Mouse’s website: fieldmousemusic.com

Soul Memorial Honors Dennis McCarthy

On Sunday, July 27, the Rhode Island musical community will come together for a special event at The Met in Pawtucket to celebrate the life of beloved musician Dennis McCarthy. The singer/songwriter passed away unexpectedly in his Providence apartment on June 2, leaving behind catalogue of well-crafted, soulful songs. The event, called Soul Memorial, will feature a host of local musicians, who will take the stage in celebration of the late singer’s legacy.

In the Late ’70s and early ’80s, McCarthy fronted the Groovemasters, a band whose eclectic style put his versatile voice in the limelight. He was also a member of the Dynamic Johnsons.

In recent years, McCarthy and his band had become a mainstay of the Thursday night slot at Nick-a- Nee’s. He also sat in with local bassist Joe Potenza at Aspire. A die-hard performer until the end, his last gig was at the Ocean Mist in Matunuck on May 30.

The music at the event will be a retrospective of McCarthy’s impressive tenure in the music scene. It will feature performances by The Nick-a-Nee’s Band and The Groovemasters, with a special appearance from world-famous jazz saxophonist, Greg Abate. Also in attendance will be The Ubiquitones with help from RI music veteran Marc Cutler and The Last Call Band. Running the show will be emcees Len Cabral, Rudy Cheeks and Mark Taber.

The event will also serve as a CD release party. One of McCarthy’s lifelong dreams was to have his own recording, an undertaking he never finished. Luckily, he had some great friends who stepped up and finished it for him.

McCarthy didn’t have a funeral or wake, so this is Rhode Island’s only opportunity to honor a man who meant so much to the Rhode Island music scene. If you want to help celebrate his memory by listening to some of the area’s biggest talents, this is not an event to be missed.

Soul Memorial will be held on July 27 at 4:30pm at The Met located at Hope Artiste Village, 1005 Main St., Pawtucket. Entrance fee: $10 suggested donation, with a potluck dinner and all proceeds going to Dennis McCarthy’s son, Jefferson.

Jared Paul: The Underground Voice of Providence

By Melanie Rainone

Jared Paul is a poetic and musical powerhouse that calls Providence home. As a nationally acclaimed spoken word poet and hip-hop artist, he draws his inspiration from social injustices and fuses his two art forms together to create something unique and powerful.

Jared’s upbringing and early introduction to hip-hop took him on a journey that introduced him to poetry, community action, and national activism. He has become a radical and artistic voice of Providence, bringing the culture of poetry, working with the youth and community at large with a little rabble rousing thrown in.

“Hip-hop is poetry. Hip-hop is the continuation of the oral tradition. It’s poetry put to music. The rhyme scheme, the meter, the metaphor, is the first music that was more about poetry than it was about music.”

Jared grew up in the Manville neighborhood of Lincoln. “I grew up below the poverty line in terms of the state’s eyes, but both of my parents loved me a tremendous amount and I had a really great childhood. We always had all of the things that we needed and most of the things that we wanted.”

Jared has fond memories of Manville, speaking of a strong community and many children his age with whom to play. “We had to see from a very young age the real time class divide.”

It was in this environment that Jared found music.“My friend Joey gave me Public Enemy at the bus stop in 7th grade and it changed everything for me,” he explained.

“They had all of these powerful songs about life, and about a lot of the same things we were going through or that our friends or family were going through. From that moment on it was our main music, and a main influence in our lives: it informed us, inspired us, picked us up when we were down, gave our anger validation.”

It is hard to tell the story of Jared without mentioning Sage Francis. Francis is a hip-hop artist and spoken word poet from Rhode Island whom Jared credits with his introduction to poetry and political action.

Jared and Sage met as students at URI, but Sage’s influence on Jared as an artist began long before the two ever became friends. The copy of Public Enemy that Jared got from his friend Joey at the busstop, the album that Jared says started it all, had been given to Joey by his older brother, who had gotten it from Sage Francis.

“He was my friend, but he was also kind of like a superhero: he was an amazing performer, his writing was better than anyone we knew, he was a black belt in karate, he had a kickass hip-hop show on [URI’s radio station, WRIU] 90.3FM, he had a full beard, and could easily beat up a grown man.”

It was Sage that brought Jared to his first poetry reading at URI. “All these teenagers relatively sober with informed opinions on politics, music, life. Reading poems and songs about love, loss, struggle, the military, sex, poetry, culture. Everything. I didn’t know anything like that existed … I had the opposite of a nervous breakdown, I had a nervous awakening.”

Jared became involved in the Providence slam poetry scene in 1998. It took him three years to make the team, but the year he did coincided with the National Poetry Slam being hosted in Providence. He was a part of Team Providence for the next seven years. During that time, Providence made it to the semi-finals at Nationals five times, and Jared made it to finals stage at the Individual World Poetry Slam in 2006 and again in 2007.

But Jared sensed that an outlet for adults was not enough. In 2002, Jared made a proposal to the Providence Slam staff to start a youth poetry slam. “I knew that youth of Prov were hungry for it, and the movement was growing around the country,” said Jared. He coached and directed the Providence Youth Slam until 2009, during which time they made it to the finals stage three times and were featured on HBO’s series Brave New Voices. “Team Providence became one of the most respected youth slam teams and communities in the country and folks gave us a lot of love,” Jared said. “Coaching and working with the youth, was easily one of the best experiences of my life.”

Jared’s work with Rhode Island youth extended beyond poetry. “I wanted to work somewhere in the overall movement for social justice,” he said. A friend of his was a group home counselor and referred Jared to a non-profit. “They recruited me for a specialized program working with teen sex offenders and sex crime survivors,” he said. “It was the hardest, most eye opening, educational, enraging, and spiritually damaging work I’ve ever done.” He worked there for four years until he began touring full time.

For anyone familiar with Jared’s work, it is fueled by passion about social injustice. He does work as an environmental, animal, and human rights activist, causes that are the main subject matter for his poetry and music. His poem entitled “Conspiracy to Riot: 2008 RNC Arrest Story Pt. 1” tells the story of Jared’s arrest for felony riot at the Republican National Convention in 2008. This was not the first time Jared found himself in trouble with the law, after being part of the mass arrest that happened during the 2004 RNC. This past January, it was announced that New York City agreed to pay nearly $18 million for the arrest, detention, and fingerprinting of hundreds, making it the largest protest settlement in history.

After all of his national recognition and success, the question remains: why Providence? “For such a tiny city we have a crazy arts and music scene, and a super strong counter culture,” he said. “There are protests every week, there’s an organized radical labor contingent, one of the strongest, most tenured poetry communities in the country.” Jared currently lives in Providence as a part of the AS220 Artists in Residence program, describing AS220 as an internationally recognized beacon of hope.

“The time I set aside for direct action goes to picketing with hotel workers in my neighborhood at the Renaissance and the Hilton as they fight for fair wages and better working conditions.” He also volunteers with the Providence Poetry Slam and participates in protests and hearings organized by Occupy providence and the Olneyville Neighborhood Association.

Aside from his activism work here in Rhode Island, Jared is working on various upcoming poetry and music projects. “Right now I’m working on my book and a brand new album, so my focus is there,” he said. Jared’s first book (title to be determined) is due to be released in the spring of 2015. He describes it as a collection of poetry, autobiographical short stories, and personal essays about traveling, protesting, and social justice organizing. CLEAN MACHINE by Jared Paul

Biking to my father’s house after dark, making good time. Providence flies past and I’m already crossing into Pawtucket.

There’s hardly any traffic and the night air is soft and cool. The speckled sky brightens the further I ride from downtown.

After pedaling nonstop for twenty minutes, Main Street turns into Lonsdale Avenue and a glorious downhill begins.

Nearly a mile with the wind at my back and gravity on my side. As I pick up momentum, cars, trees, and buildings blur together.

The bray of advancing motorcycle engines sparks up from behind. Fifteen men on sportsbikes pull close, begin passing on the left.

Accelerators rev in a rush of piercing headlights and neon plastic.

My ears recoil as they roar by— I nod, waiting until the road is mine again.

The last rider to pass reaches out and gives my raised bottom a playful pat. I look over in surprise, he winks.

Someday, you’ll be man enough for one of these, his eyes seems to say. He hits the gas with a blaring whine of the engine, races to catch the others.

Their tail lights disappear around a corner and off into the distance. The night is quiet once more but a heavy curtain of burnt exhaust remains.

I’m given to a moment of flatulence and the gas eases out behind me. I whiff but there is nothing there to smell.

The sportsbikers have helmets and I have a helmet. They have two wheels and I have two wheels but my bicycle runs quietly on quinoa and kale, and the exhaust is clean as a whistle.

Dinosaur Jr. Brings the Raw, Brutal Power of Rock & Roll

The original lineup of Dinosaur Jr. came through a packed Met last Friday to pump some loud guitar music into the veins of local residents. Consisting of guitarist J.Mascis, bassist Lou Barlow, and drummer Murph, the band pioneered a high-octane, guitar- heavy sound in the mid-80s that was a precursor to the grunge explosion of the 90s. The show was originally supposed to be headlined by King Buzzo of the Melvins, but in a fortuitous turn of events, Dinosaur was added to the bill, turning this show into one of the concert events of the summer.

The band split in the late in the late ’90s, but the original lineup mended their famously fractured relationship in the mid-2000s and hit the ground running, making new music. And unlike many of their contemporaries, their new material has held up compared to the band’s golden age.

The show was kicked off by solo guitarist Mary Halveston, whose solo set included a number of diverse pieces. She incorporated elements of jazz, classical and distorted rock riffs to create a unique sound to effectively build the anticipation.

Buzz Osborne, a.k.a King Buzzo, frontman of metal legends The Melvins, took his turn next. Armed with just an acoustic guitar, he performed a mix of songs from his new album, This Machine Kills Artists and old Melvins tunes. There are few people who could command a room with just an acoustic guitar and vocals; his songs employed the punishing, down-tuned doom riffs he’s known for, and his voice boomed so loudly that even the people drinking outside were forced to take notice.

Dinosaur kicked off their set with the last thing I expected to hear: “Bulbs of Passion,” the first track from their debut album Dinosaur, which contrasts quiet, ambient verses with distorted, metal choruses aided by Barlow’s screaming. It was a good way to punish the audience’s ears right off the bat.

Dinosaur Jr. is the loudest band I’ve ever seen, by a considerable margin. The stage was dominated by Mascis’ three full Marshall stacks, which, as you can probably imagine, make the guitar’s volume deafening. And, of course, the volume of the other instruments has to be increased to compete, so the whole thing just ends up being ludicrously, gloriously loud.

There are some who may be thinking: That’s totally absurd! Why would anyone need three full stacks? But I say the more stacks the better! The heightened sensitivity of a lot of today’s indie music is great and all, but sometimes it’s great to just sit back and bask in the raw, brutal power of rock & roll.

J. Mascis has admitted outright that their songs are pretty much “just build up to the guitar solo,” and watching the master at work is the best part about their live show. He just stands there, hardly even changing his facial expressions while his fingers skate around the neck, creating roaring, distorted madness like only he can. The other members are no slouches either; Barlow frantically strummed his Rickenbacker Lemmy-style, and Murph’s blazing-fast fills were as clean as ever.

You’re Living All Over Me, which came out in 1987 and is thought by many to be their best album, was very well represented in the set, with songs like “The Lung,” “Raisins,” “Tarpit,” “In a Jar,” and their cover of The Cure’s “Just Like Heaven.” The band also tore through their ’90s radio hits “Start Choppin” and “Feel the Pain” and post-reunion singles “Pieces” and “Watch the Corners.” The band even brought it back to the early ’80s, playing a song called “Training Ground” by Barlow and Mascis’s hardcore band Deep Wound that’s “about how school sucks.” The highlight had to be their encore, the fan favorite “SludgeFeast,” with the crowd going into circle pit frenzy.

My only complaint: It’s great that the band regularly plays the crowd-pleasers, but they seem to cycle through the same songs during every show. With such a large catalog, Dino could really expand their setlists into something a little more comprehensive.

The concert may have killed a few brain cells, but it was totally worth it to see a band that is showing no signs of slowing down.

Album of the Week: Stardeath and White Dwarfs’ Wastoid

It can be a daunting to be related to a music superstar. Enter Dennis Coyne, nephew of Wayne Coyne, the insanely enigmatic frontman of acid-punk act The Flaming Lips. Dennis’ band Stardeath and White Dwarfs have a new album out called Wastoid and you can see the influence of his uncle throughout each track. What sets this act apart is the heavy fuzz from the bass and guitar distortions that can make your head spin. It can be tough living up to someone else’s fame, but Wastoid shows that Stardeath and White Dwarfs are looking to forge their own path. If you have heard the Dark Side Of The Moon cover album Stardeath and White Dwarfs did with The Flaming Lips, Peaches and Henry Rollins back in 2009, then Wastoid should show a lot of similarities. There’s a great psychedelic presence on the album with each song taking you from one place to the next. Each track provides a different experience but each is a pleasant one. Staying true to their crazy and weird Oklahoma roots, Stardeath and White Dwarfs never cease to astound from start to finish with their new album. It’s groovy, fun and trippy with a taste for the abstract that comes together to form something unique and wonderful.

So the World Cup is finally over. Since a portion of your day is all the sudden freed up, dive into my top tracks off of the Album Of The Week. Maybe it’s not as fun as watching a bunch of dudes run around for 90 minutes, but it surely won’t be boring.

The jungle beats and the raw riffs of “Frequency” make it a funky number at the start and then it gets all acoustic with Dennis strumming on his six-string. It reminds me a bit of mid-90s era Blur. A wonderful example of the fuzz is “Guess I’ll Be Okay;” the guitars hit you like a stick of dynamite over a nuclear power plant and it’s my personal favorite off of the album. Cool psych-jazz goodness is all over “Sleeping Pills and Ginger Ale,” a very entrancing song that features piano chords giving it a full body.

Stardeath and White Dwarfs will be performing at The Wichita Psych Fest in Wichita, Kansas, on July 19 and at The Center Of The Universe Fest in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on July 26. If you’re willing to make the road trip to one of these festivals I highly suggest you do. Hopefully they make it up to New England soon, but until then grab yourself a copy of Stardeath and White Dwarfs’ Wastoid. It’s the perfect album for the person who lives in another state of mind.

Stardeath and White Dwarf’s Website: stardeathandwhitedwarfs.com