Mercury Dropping, Music Rising: Jump into this pile of shows
Darklands are a Providence/Boston based group just out with Find Peace In The Next Life, their latest LP/EP (do those labels even matter these days?). It’s a charged live set recorded at Distorted Forest Audio recording studio.
Find Peace opens with a bang with “The Hill I Choose To Die On,” where the two chunky, downtuned guitars create a wall of sound a la My Bloody Valentine. “Spite House” brings in a catchier, emo punk sound and “Bigger People” is a bit noisier and freer-flowing.
This album has a refreshing “warts and all” approach. The vocals are a little pitchy, but I think it seems that way in part because virtually all music we hear these days is digitally done-up with a lot of studio magic.
Purchase Find Peace In The Next Life at Bandcamp.
Here are a handful of late summer/early fall shows for your consideration:
Note that many venues locally and nationally have announced that they’re requiring the extra step of showing your proof of vaccination and/or wearing a mask. If you ask me, it’s worth the minor inconvenience to ensure everybody feels safe for the return of live music.
Superwolves (Bonnie “Prince” Billy & Matt Sweeney), Columbus Theatre, September 3
Superwolves is a supergroup duo made up of celebrated songwriter Bonnie “Prince” Billy and guitarist Matt Sweeney. The originally titled Superwolves is the long-awaited follow-up to their 2005 electric folk masterpiece, Superwolf.
KiSSiNG KONTEST/Salem Wolves/Moodrunners/Gamma Rage, Dusk, September 4
Gamma Rage is fronted by recent Motif Music Award Winner Malyssa BellaRosa, Salem Wolves are a Boston rock band of note, and Kissing Kontest is the music of Preston Neutrino. Moodrunners impressed with their stellar debut EP earlier this year.
Scurvy Dog Parking Lot Mega Show II, September 5
Standing in a parking lot? Will that be fun? Is it even a nice parking lot? Not particularly. But Scurvy Dog’s long running Mega Show series does pack a bunch of cool bands into the Labor Day Sunday. This year’s event features Triangle Forest, the Fatal Flaw, JUGGWORLD, Song Birds and way more.
Rhythm and Roots, Ninigret Park, Labor Day Weekend
A South County favorite returns after a year off. Heavy hitters here include British folkster Richard Thompson, American folkster John Hiatt and Rhiannon Giddens of the Carolina Chocolate Drops. For local(ish) artists who always deliver, check out Ward Hayden & The Outliers (formerly Girls Guns & Glory), Charlie Marie and Will Evans.
Ben Folds, Vets Auditorium, September 24
Ever the consummate performer, Ben Folds is coming to town for a solo show. This is not a situation where the lack of band is a bummer. I’ve seen him solo a few times and found the show thoroughly enjoyable.
The Last Dropout Night: A Celebration of Jon Tierney, The Parlour (PVD), September 25
Local songwriter “Big Jon” Tierney passed away in December 2020 and was, by all accounts, both extremely talented and very well-liked by all. This memorial performance will feature Kris Hansen, Christian Calderone, Becca Neveu, Matty O, Nate Cozzolino and more. Check Facebook for more details.
Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, Fete, October 6
I caught these guys on a weekend morning news show recently and found them pretty entertaining. It’s a country rock sound that’s heartworn, gritty and that kind of thing, without feeling manufactured. Their latest LP, A Few Stars Apart, dropped in June.
Whitney, Columbus, October 30
This band kept coming up on my Spotify playlists (sorry, yes, I have surrendered to the algorithm), and I was impressed when I finally dove into their catalog of compelling, hooky chamber pop.
Ancient Offerings: Vudu Sister’s new release offers a modern twist on ancient myths
Burnt Offerings is the new release from Vudu Sister, a unique record featuring modern retellings of ancient myths in Latin and ancient Greek. With his signature gothic folk stylings, Keith J.G McCurdy eloquently spins a new take on tales as old as time. This project immediately caught my attention. Who is this hyper-educated madman? And why write lyrics in dead languages? McCurdy, reached by phone, says he’s always loved mythology and Tolkien. “While taking some mythology courses in the University of Rhode Island (URI) Classics department, I fell in love with Latin and Greek languages,” said McCurdy.
McCurdy’s mentor, Dr. Daniel Carpenter, encouraged students to create projects using Latin and Greek. McCurdy had the idea to write songs after trying his hand at poetry, and was awarded a grant from URI to help with the recording costs.
The cumbersome songwriting and translation operation required a specific plan of attack for each song. “The process was a lot more mathematical than for writing a regular song,” said McCurdy. “These all began with the melody, and in some cases it made more sense to start with the Greek or Latin words first, and sometimes the English.”
Inspired by Ovid’s Heroides poems, told from the viewpoint of women in myth, the record puts the female perspective at the forefront. The subjects feel of particular significance given our society’s reckoning with the issues of sexual assault and gender inequality.
“Scelera Malorum,” or “the crimes of wicked men,” is told from the perspective of the furies in their role as arbiters of vengeance in retribution for crimes against women: “Blood the price, from lawless fire/Having been extorted, is a harsh payment/Out of sleepless hate, from reckless rage our violence.” Angela Degaitas and Rachel Rosencrantz provide backing harmonies, representing the three furies along with McCurdy.
Four out of the five songs are in Latin, with the exception of “ἡ Κλυταιμνήστρα” in Ancient Greek. In it, Clytemnestra kills her husband out of revenge for the slaying of their daughter. “On the surface, ‘Clytemnestra’ doesn’t sound all that musical, so I did this one as kind of a challenge,” said McCurdy.
“Credite Mihi” (“Believe Me”) recounts the story of Cassandra, cursed with the gift of foresight. This was my favorite of the batch, with its Eastern European lilt and catchy melody.
It should be noted that these are all McCurdy’s original songs, not recreations of ancient music. “I thought it was important to do this in a contemporary vein, and in a way that is consistent with my own style,” said McCurdy. He cites musical influences like Sicilian folk and the Greek genre rebetiko.
Much like the subject matter, the music has a classical sounding pedigree, with a string-heavy instrumentation of guitar, double bass, violin and viola. Sonically and thematically, Burnt Offerings picks up where Vudu’s 2016 Mortis Nervosa album leaves off, as that record drew from ghost stories and folk tales.
“Flores Lecti” gives a sweet and sour effect, moving from somber 6/8 to an upbeat, almost poppy chorus. But in true downer mythological fashion, this chorus turns out to mean “I became a bride of death/Who is forever a maiden,” describing how Persephone is taken by Hades at the apex of youth and beauty.
“Amor Carmen Novercae” is a macabre waltz that is anchored by an enchanting violin. The album features excellent “hands off” production with minimal effects.
McCurdy realizes the barriers to entry with Burnt Offerings, and isn’t expecting listeners to learn Ancient Greek. “I’m well aware that it’s potentially alienating, and that a lot of people won’t go that deep into the subject matter,” he said. “There’s a hope that the songs will stand on their own melodically, and are still able to capture or evoke some of that emotion.”
Though I admit that it is more difficult to connect with music you don’t understand, I found the arranging, melodies, and all-around musicianship impressive. Even more impressive is McCurdy’s will to take on this gargantuan project and breathe new life into these age-old stories.
Burnt Offerings, along with translations, is available for download at Bandcamp.
Happy Days Are Here Again: The return of the Newport Folk Festival
After a year off for something obscure called COVID, the Newport Folk Festival returned to Fort Adams to rage again. The festival started inauspiciously Friday, as I could see lightning flashing in the horizon driving in. There was a shelter-in-place warning in effect when I arrived, which is odd when there is no place to shelter. The first act I caught was The Marcus King Band, which thundered out of the speakers like a burst of ’60s soul with some old school blues chops thrown into the storm. King is a white guy in a cowboy hat who pulls off covering Percy Sledge’s “When a Man Loves a Woman.” On his own original, “Wildflowers & Wine,” King channels Otis Redding. On “Goodbye Carolina,” King and the band add some roots Americana blues into the mix.
Other highlights from Friday were Margo Price with the Resistance Revival Chorus, which had a powerful Carly Simon by campfire stripped-down vibe on the main stage. I then caught Maggie Rose at the Busking Tent singing a soulful number, “Saint,” from her upcoming album. Rose and her band got down with a funky ditty called “Do It.” After Rose finished, it was announced that the festival was called for the day because of ominous approaching clouds with 40 mph winds and hail. The storm never actually hit the Fort, but better safe than sorry. I still couldn’t help wondering if this year’s festival, like last, was doomed.
Saturday started with Grace Potter being the hero for agreeing to kick off the festival at the un-rock ‘n’ roll hour of 11am after her set got cancelled by the phantom storm of the day before. She has her own freaking festival in Burlington, Vermont, but she wanted to rock in Newport, so that is what she and her band did. Margo Price would be all over the place at this year’s festival. On Saturday, she performed a set with Jeremy Ivey as a duo doing each other’s tunes. I was struck by how much Ivey is influenced by Tom Petty. Certainly not a bad thing, one would have to be a pencil-necked geek not to like Tom Petty. Petty’s influence reverberates in Ivey’s tunes, especially “Diamonds Back to Coal” and “All Kinds of Blue.” Price closed out the set solo with a topical ballad, “American Made,” which was just beautiful.
The highlight of Saturday, in a day of highlights, was without question Randy Newman. Newman performed solo on piano, occasionally accompanied by a crying child at the side of the stage and a foghorn from the bay that seemed to annoy him more and more as the set went on. Newman did most of his hits from the opening “It’s a Jungle Out There,” through “You Got a Friend in Me” and “Short People” — pretty much everything but “I Love LA.” My favorite was the audience participation number “I’m Dead (But I Don’t Know It)” which just amped up Newman’s ongoing hysterical stage banter.
Jason Isabell and Amanda Shires closed out the day as a stripped-down three-piece. It was good, but I missed the power of Isabell’s backing band, The 400 Unit. I do love Isabell’s lyrics. “Heaven is wasted on the dead” was one that stood out. They closed out the day with a lovely rendition of “If We Were Vampires.”
I heard plenty of people around the festival talking about the Caamp, so I checked them out Sunday. My first impression was they came off as a midwest version of Mumford & Sons — remarkable for how unremarkable they were. I warmed up a little by the third song, but in general, it wasn’t my thing. Billy Strings, on the other hand, was a badass mix of eccentric bluegrass and folk. I don’t even like bluegrass all that much, but Strings was electric and seemed to be a consensus fav for the day in the crosstalk throughout the festival. Even Governor McKee was rocking out to Strings’ set on the Quad stage.
It was a good thing Nathaniel Rateliff booked two sets after that elusive storm cancelled his set Friday. His set Sunday was a stripped-down version instead of the usual high energy R&B of his work with the Night Sweats that I personally love. Rateliff did eventually do a surprise set with The Night Sweats on Monday, but of course, that was my day off from the festival. Rateliff brought up Tommy Prine and the ever-present (and wonderful) Margo Price for a John Prine tribute to close his set.
Allison Russell closed out Sunday with set chock full of guests galore, R&B, jazz, poetry and really a little of everything. One moment Russell is playing trumpet, the next she is doing a gospel style duet of “Help” by the Beatles with (of course) Margo Price. Russell also brought up Yola, Brandi Carlile and oh, Chaka (freaking) Khan to close out the day with renditions of “Ain’t Nobody” and “I’m Every Woman.”
Tuesday was another stacked day with killer sets early from Vagabon, Melissa Chapman and Langhorne Slim. Bleachers did a stripped-down set of their quirky brand of pop. Fred Armison had a hilarious set of music-centered comedy using guitars and drums. Sharon Van Etten performed solo on the main stage. I dug her new song, “Darkness Fades.” My favorite Scientologist, Beck, was hysterical with his banter and performed both solo and accompanied by guitarist Smokey Hormel, Jack Antonoff (Bleachers) and Armison on drums. Beck dipped deep into his songbook to do renditions of “Asshole,” “One Foot in the Grave” and “Debra” as well as covers of “I Am the Cosmos”(Chris Bell) and “Raspberry Beret” (Prince).
Black Pumas absolutely tore it up as the surprise guest on the main stage with a crazy set of psychedelic soul Wednesday. They just oozed joy and energy. Lake Street Dive continued the vibes, performing standouts like “Hypotheticals,” “Hush Money” and “Know That I Know” from their latest album, Obviously.
Then it was time for Rhode Island’s own Deer Tick to close out the festival, and what a glorious ending it was to six day of transcendental music. I’ve seen Deer Tick over 50 times, and this set easily ranks in the top 5. They covered ZZ Top’s “Cheap Sunglasses” in honor of the recently passed Dusty Hill. They did standards like “Baltimore Blues,” “Ashamed” and “Hope is Big.” They brought Vanessa Carlton up to duet with husband, John McCauley, on “In Our Time.” They dug deep into their archives to pull out “Cake and Eggs,” an unreleased song from the Divine Providence album. They also did a new song called “If She Could Only See Me Now” from their new live album, Live From Fort Adams, recorded last year in an empty Fort Adams. The contrast between this year and last couldn’t be greater for Deer Tick. The joy of 2021 made the bleakness and fear of 2020 seem like a nightmare that one half remembers as the final refrain of “Goodnight Irene” drifted over the bay.
R.I.P. Dusty Hill
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Keep on Moving: Blunt Narratives: Rock photographer makes it look like child’s play Richard’s Rock & Roll Alphabet
Like most good and bad ideas, the genesis of the new book Richard’s Rock & Roll Alphabet happened in a bar — Patrick’s Pub to be exact. It was there that Robert Blunt asked renowned photographer Richard McCaffrey if he had photographs of musicians that spanned the entire alphabet Blunt’s idea was to use the photographs as a teaching tool for his young niece, Isabelle, to learn the alphabet and associate letters with amazing artists. One drink led to another photograph and the next thing you know, Blunt and McCaffrey had the ingredients to compile a pretty sweet book. Blunt designed and wrote the descriptions while McCaffrey unearthed the goods taken from his years freelancing for Rolling Stone, Billboard, Creem and others outlets in the 1970s and ’80s. The photos appear alphabetically in the book with a few different artists for each letter. Some of my favorite photos in the book are Stevie Nicks in 1976, B.B. King at San Quentin Prison with a guard patrolling the prison wall in the background, The Kinks in 1976, Thin Lizzy in 1977, Sly Stone at the then Palace Theater (now Providence Performing Arts Center) in 1973 and the Ramones in 1978. There are some serious gems here, and the music historian in me appreciates Blunt’s narratives.
The book is out now as a limited edition release. Blunt and McCaffrey are having a couple of book signings where you can get your signed copy and ask McCaffrey what it was like seeing Aerosmith in Newport in 1973 or about the last “ever get the feeling you’ve been cheated” Sex Pistols show at Winterland in 1978. Here are those deets!
July 8: Muldowney’s Pub, 121 Empire St, PVD. 7 – 9pm
July 9: Patrick’s Pub, 381 Smith St, PVD. 7 – 9pm July 10: Round Again Records, 278 Wickenden St, PVD. 2 – 4pm
July 10: POP Emporium of Popular Culture, 219 W Park St, PVD. 5 – 7pm
Healing Arts in the Park: Making Music with Mark Cutler
Rhode Island Music Hall of Famer Mark Cutler is hosting a free collaborative songwriting project throughout July and August at 7pm. Much like Cutler’s The Same Thing Project, this is open to all. People are encouraged to bring instruments, but it is by no means required. The July sessions will take place on Thursdays at Roger Williams National Memorial, 282 N. Main St, in downtown Providence. Register by emailing [email protected] or visit www.thesamethingproject.com for more information. In August the sessions will remain on Thursdays at 7pm, but will move to Slater Mill, 67 Roosevelt Ave, in Pawtucket. I’m excited to give this a try!
Upcoming Rockers:
The Autocrats bring the funk-fueled dance party every Wednesday till the apocalypse and/or the next plague at Askew in Providence.
The McGunks Album Release Show at Alchemy featuring sets by The McGunks, Stubborn Hearts, COB and The Paraplegics on July 9. Doors are at 8pm, post-plague new location is 171 Chestnut St, PVD.
Electric Six, Volk, & The Smoke Breaks will rock Alchemy on July 15 — holy shit it’s like a second Bastille Day! Doors are at 7pm.
Deer Tick and Ravi Shavi will rock the Ocean Mist on July 16 & 17. Doors are at 8pm.
Scurvy Dog Mega Parking Lot Mega Show will take place (shockingly) in the parking lot of the Scurvy Dog in PVD on July 18. The fun kicks off at 1pm and runs until all 11 bands play or the cops shut it down. Some of the acts I’m stoked to see on this bill include Pony Boy, Midnight Creeps, Gamma Rage and The David Tessier All-Star Stars (A.S.S.).
Record Review Mailbag:
Kris Hansen’s Viking Jesus — Before The Mutation
It may have taken 15 years or so of reviewing Kris Hansen’s releases, but I finally found one that I love! That’s not to say the previous ones sucked, there were cool songs sprinkled here and there. I just never felt like the rawness of Hansen’s best live performances was ever captured. Before The Mutation showcases the rock, funk, folk and electro atoms that Viking Jesus fuse together to construct their wall of sound. “Hideaway Boxes” reminds me of The Police with the harmonies of the early Pixies as Hansen duets with his wife Tara Hansen. Tara takes the lead vocal on “For A Dying Scene,” which just floats into a sphere of haunted wistfulness. “Same Killer,” on the other hand, kicks somewhere between post-punk and mid-’90s rock ‘n’ roll. I’m guessing “Boston Marathon ” is about the bombing in 2013, but I don’t have the lyric sheets. What I do know is the way the song goes from the jazzy funk of the verse to the roll in the chorus is just damn hypnotizing. Before The Mutation is available now! It’s on the internet, kid! Bill Bartholomew — Bats
What I like about this three song EP is the imagery of bats on the highway in the title track because it reminds me of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. I also dig the spacey parts on “(A Lot To Be) Free For,” but the rest of it is annoying as the title. The musicianship is certainly competent and I like the lo-fi clarity in the production, but I have no desire to ever listen to this again. Maybe that’s just me, though, so check it out on the streaming service of your choice.
Email music news, records, and night swimming spots to [email protected]
Optimism Rising: Modern folk to usher in a post-pandemic summer
I write this as I’m about to head off to a concert, hopefully the first of many this summer, and it finally feels like the pandemic cloud is lifting. This month, I take a look at two compelling takes on modern folk.
Will Orchard — I Reached My Hand Out
It’s been over three years since my profile of Will Orchard, then performing under the moniker LittleBoyBigHeadonBike. We spoke about his releasing music on Bandcamp at a furious pace, at times putting out songs every few days.
Now based in Boston, he hasn’t slowed down much, making music under his own name. His sophomore release, I Reached My Hand Out, combines hi-fi production, experimental song structures, and Orchard’s frank, observational honesty.
Orchard’s website reads: “I Reached My Hand Out documents the process of walking away from shame, learning to criticize yourself and the world with empathy, and then walking right back again.”
Elements of dream pop and psychedelia pair well with themes of loneliness and evocative, slice-of-life lyrics. The chorus of voices behind “Alone” bolster a kind of a half spoken word song that reads like poetry:
“Driving through perfect little towns/on the edge of New Hampshire, I start to speed/The moon just sat there unmoving above me/And the headlights in the jeep trailing behind, uneasily.”
I Reached My Hand Out was released by Better Company Records and produced by San Fermin’s Allen Tate, which makes sense given that band’s penchant for lush production. The album provides many sonic textures to unpack, including clarinet, piano, banjo, and choruses of layered background vocals, which at times remind me of a mix between the Killers and Bon Iver.
While the album does feature some of the expected stripped-down fingerpicking (“Hair Salon”), it goes in plenty of bold new directions. “October Hallways” and “Smoke Alarm” feature a cool take on the neo folk electronica sound perfected by Sufjan Stevens.
After a hazy intro, “Come Into My Fog” evolves into something so upbeat and poppy to the point of being Deadlike. The song narrates profound moments of minutiae from his life:
“I walked out of my foggy head/And got a cup of coffee downstairs/There was a cornucopia/On the kitchen table ringed with flowers.”
“Rita,” with its evocative lyrics (“Throwing darts at the wall/With a blindfold around my heart”) and a memorable melody, is a highlight. The album’s opus is “Over Blue Highways,” which sounds like alt- country-era Ryan Adams interspersed with the earnest acoustics of Phosphorescent.
I commend Will on this well-thought-out record. All those Bandcamp releases were leading him to some pretty ambitious, interesting material.
Find streaming info, lyrics, and more at willorchard.net.
Andrew Victor — Here, honey
On Here, honey, Westerly-based songwriter Andrew Victor mines the rich harmony in subtlety, with a sense of spacious noise and pathos. Adding to an impressive back catalogue of DIY releases, Victor wrote, performed and recorded everything on the album, and you can sense the homespun quality.
The acoustic “Westerly” incorporates elements that are both sad and pastoral, with haunting harmonies underneath. “Meant to Be” features sparse, moody synths.
The album features more traditional songs mixed in with more sporadic instrumental interludes. “Quilcene” has an eerily familiar piano pattern, and “South Prairie” reminds me of Vangelis’s Chariots of Fire score.
“Give Me The Open Field Now” is a futuristic groove set over a hazy whir. Though it’s not super electric, he’s got a David Gilmouresque “master of effects” thing going on throughout.
Call me a normie, but I definitely could’ve used a few more verse-chorus-verse tunes among the drony instrumentals. But all in all, worth checking out.
Purchase Andrew Victor’s Here, honey at Bandcamp.
Back To Life, Back To Reality: Clubs are booking? Shut up and take my money!
As social distancing restrictions ease up, concert announcements for national acts have started to trickle in, just really not here. Outside of Tiffany in June and Electric Six in July, I can’t find anything in terms of summer concerts with national acts in Rhode Island or southern New England that I’d want to attend. Some might contend that with those two acts, you don’t need anything else, to which I say, “Touche.” In Massachusetts shows have been going on sale pretty steadily, and I did get a bit loco in the initial wave of announcements. The first week I secured tickets to Tommy Stinson, Bob Mould, Guided By Voices and Wilco. I don’t even like Wilco.
Till that purchase, I didn’t think the pandemic had much of an effect on me. Local music has been going strong for a couple of weeks in venues like Askew and Dusk in Providence. The Parlour is now joining them in allowing a limited capacity seated crowd. Right now all shows are pretty much on weekends but I’d look for that to expand as things evolve. I also noticed the Greenwich Odeum and the Narrows Center for the Arts in Fall River also are starting to have events with a limited capacity.
The Return of the Newport Festivals
The cancellation of the Newport Folk and Newport Jazz festivals last year just made summer feel incomplete. Certainly that could be said about a lot of things in 2020, but thankfully both festivals will be returning this summer! Normally in our Summer Guide I’d rip through a few acts performing at each festival to check out, but as of this writing, not a single act has been announced. This hasn’t stopped the Newport Folk Festival from being completely sold out per usual. Right now both festivals are operating under the assumption that they will be at 50% capacity. The Newport Folk Festival, for the first time in its storied history, will be a six-day event with two separate three-day passes (July 23 thru the 25th and July 26 thru the 28th) for maximum inclusiveness. The Newport Jazz Festival will kick off July 30 and run through August 1. Even though the Folk Festival is sold out, they have partnered with Lyte to do a fan-to-fan ticket exchange to counteract scalping. There will no doubt be plenty of ticket movement with two different sets of three-days passes and no info available yet on who is playing what day, so check out newportfolk.org for more info.
Newport Folk Fest will run from July 23 – 28 at Fort Adams State Park in Newport. Newport Jazz Festival will run from July 30 – August 1 at Fort Adams State Park.
Summer Jams
These are 11 of my all-time favorite jams to crank in the summer. I stayed away from the Beach Boys and The Lovin’ Spoonful (even though that stuff is great) because everybody already knows it.
The Undertones, “Here Comes The Summer”
Palmdale, “Here Comes The Summer” (completely different song than The Undertones)
Helen Love, “Long Hot Summer” (both parts one and two!)
The Hold Steady, “Constructive Summer”
The Go-Go’s, “Vacation”
Jesse Malin, “Black Hair Girl”
Cracker, “Big Dipper” Queens of the Stone Age, “I Sat By The Ocean”
Elvis Costello, “The Other Side of Summer”
Neutral Nation, “bad music beach”
Superchunk, “Learned to Surf”
Upcoming Shows:
Mark Cutler and the Men of Great Courage.
The Men of Great Courage is Mark Cutler’s more roots-based Americana-style vehicle for music. Cutler has livestreamed solo performances throughout the pandemic on Facebook, but it’s great to hear that he’ll be back on stage in front of an audience where he belongs.
Mark Cutler and the Men of Great Courage will busk out the jams for a limited capacity at The Narrows Center For The Arts in Fall River on June 4. The event will also be livestreamed; check out The Narrows pages for more information.
Pony Boy and Hope Anchor
Pony Boy has a wide palette that draws from everything from The Stooges to The Beatles. Hope Anchor packs a post-punk punch with goth highlights around the edge. This show will rock like a Nor’easter!
Pony Boy and Hope Anchor rock at Askew on June 11.
Tiffany
I’m kind of amazed that someone who started out as a teenager covering “I Think We’re Alone Now” in malls 34 years ago still has a career for nothing else. Power to Tiffany, gotta respect the hustle. It is also great that the Greenwich Odeum is back hosting live music.
Tiffany will be at the Greenwich Odeum in East Greenwich on June 25.
Electric Six
This show is so big that Alchemy had to pack up and move around the corner to the former Art Bar on Chestnut St. just to accommodate it. That’s right, Alchemy has moved — no more long stairs to avoid falling down. Alchemy has not re-opened yet, but they will be hosting the hottest show of the summer! As I’ve said in these pages before, Electric Six combines the groove of the Talking Heads with the hard rock of KISS to forge ahead into the next frontier of rock ‘n’ roll. Electric Six at Alchemy at the Art Bar just sounds like more fun than could possibly be legal. See you there!
Electric Six rocks the new Alchemy in Providence on July 15.
Email music news to [email protected] Keep on Movin: Ten Years of Magic: Pile celebrates with a livestreamed performance
Pile — Magic Isn’t Real
Pile, the celebrated indie rock band with Boston origins recently marked the pandemic-delayed 10th anniversary of their fantastic album Magic Isn’t Real, holding a livestream performance with their original lineup of Matt Becker, Matt Connery, Kris Kuss and frontman Rick Maguire. In the last decade, Pile has gained a legion of devoted fans and have become known as a “rock band’s rock band.”
Born out of the basement show scene in Allston, the band’s heavy but deeply harmonic sound defies categorization. Magic’s songs are as biting and angular as The Jesus Lizard, but way more dynamic, and jittery like Gang of Four, but with way better hooks.
“Number One Single” is a craggly jam with a stop-start feel and warp speed drumming. “Pets” is a catchy, sludge-pop number with downtuned warmth that makes it a modern classic.
Not unlike fellow Bostonians The Pixies, their sound feels experimental and edgy, but I found myself hitting the repeat button and don’t quite know why. The “But I was honest” refrain in the song “Octopus” is downright anthemic, and the soaring “Two Snakes” keeps you guessing the whole time.
Just when these songs approach conventional pop structures, they careen off into new and interesting directions. “Don’t Touch Anything” is my favorite, and remains a fan favorite as well (if Spotify data is to be believed).
I revisited the album with Mcguire by phone a few days before the livestream.
Jake Bissaro (Motif): Magic was the first Pile record with the full band lineup, right?
Rick Maguire: Yeah, it’s Matt Becker, Chris and I on the album. We went on our first tour in the fall of 2009, and a few months later Matt found out he was going to be a father, so we knew we had to get everything fully recorded and tracked by the following July.
JB: Did having a band affect the sound, as opposed to the earlier solo releases?
RM: I think so. With the full band, there was definitely a lot more room to experiment with dynamics, and it was good just generally having other people to bounce ideas off of.
JB: It seems like the album represented a bit of a breakthrough for you guys, at least in terms of a New England presence. What do you remember about the reception?
RM: I do remember it being pretty well-received. Around that time, we were playing way more basements than clubs, so the album started to open up a new world to us — new people, new music and new venues I didn’t even realize existed. JB: It feels like now, there’s a sort of mythology built up around the Boston rock scene around that time. Do you have fond memories of it?
RM: Very much so. I think I have my own mythology about that time in some ways, but it was pretty exciting. I lived in a house with a bunch of people in bands, and within a two minute walk you could get to three different houses that had shows regularly. On some nights, there would be three or four happening, and you’d try to catch as much as you could.
JB: Which tracks are most memorable to you?
RM: It’s strange; the ones that are more memorable now are the ones we haven’t played all that much because of this anniversary show. I’ve formed new memories around the ones we’ve continued to play over the past 10 years. But having to relearn a song like “Levee,” I have absolutely no idea what I was playing, and I had to think about what I might have done back then to help figure it out.
JB: What was the recording process like?
RM: Pretty smooth, from what I remember. It was recorded by Richard Marr at Galaxy Park Studios in Allston, now in Salem. I think we set aside just a week, and we recorded the album plus what ended up being the Big Web 7”. We basically did everything live, but with additional takes punched in.
JB: Lyrically, it seems like many of the subjects are cloaked in metaphor. Was this an intentional move?
RM: I was going through some personal stuff at the time and I didn’t want to be too overt. It just felt like a safer way to express myself, and maybe I thought it was a more powerful way to have different characters, or animals, tell the story.
JB: Do you now consider yourself a “Nashville Band” now that you’ve relocated? Does it even matter?
RM: I’m in Boston right now. I still very much like spending time here, and essentially split my time between the two places. But ultimately, wherever people want to say we’re from is totally fine. It’s semantics at this point.
JB: Any final thoughts on the album?
RM: I have my own personal and complicated feelings about it, but at this point it just feels like a picture of that period of my life.
Pile plans to write and record a new album later this year, slated for a 2022 release.
Buy Magic Isn’t Real at Pile’s bandcamp page. Rock ‘n’ Roll Dreams Come Through: R.I.P. Jim Steinman
As a kid I hated music like Meat Loaf. I thought it was pompous and overdone, and I never liked having to hear that stupid “Paradise By The Dashboard Light” song at every wedding. It wasn’t till years later that I was reading a review of a Meat Loaf concert that it all clicked and I realized the genius of Meat Loaf and of his songwriter, Jim Steinman. If the record label told him couldn’t have seven choruses in a song, Steinman put nine choruses in. He curb-stomped the idea of the 3-minute, radio-friendly pop song. In that respect, Steinman was more punk than Fugazi. Everything he did had great lyrics and dramatic storylines, and went against what pop songs are supposed to be. In addition to working with the Loaf, Steinman wrote the hits “Total Eclipse of The Heart” for Bonnie Tyler and “It’s All Coming Back To Me Now” for Celine Dion. Sadly, Steinman recently passed away in Connecticut. But through his music, he will live forever.
The Living Pins — Freaky Little Monster Children EP
It’s normal for bands to take a little time after their debut and second release. In the case of Austin psych-rockers The Living Pins, that little time translated into a quarter of a century. Was it worth the wait? I just hope nobody was holding their breath. Freaky Little Monster Children is like a basket of shiny psych-rock nuggets. “Jaguar” is fueled by a guitar riff reminiscent of “Honkey Tonk Women” with a chorus that sounds like ’80s UK alternative rock on acid. “Downtown” sounds like the Strawberry Alarm Clock covering the Velvet Underground. My favorite track is “Raven” because the background effects sound like a jungle with searing guitars and the mystery and menace of singer/guitarists Pam Peltz and Carrie Clark’s vocals floating through the moonlight. Freaky Little Monster Children is available now on Bandcamp.
Guided By Voices — Earth Man Blues (Rockathon Records)
Let’s go from a band that had 25 years between releases to Guided By Voices, who is releasing their fourth album of this pandemic, Earth Man Blues. The press release describes the release as a magical cinematic album following the adventures of Harold Admore. I’d describe it as a great album that contains all the elements of classic Guided By Voices. Earth Man Blues is by far the best album of COVID-era GBV. From the unexpected circus-like breakdown on the opening track “Made Man” through the prog-rock madness of the closing “Child’s Play,” Earth Man Blues rocks like a tilt-a-whirl spinning through a funhouse. “The Disconnected Citizen” sounds like Alien Lanes-era GBV through a lens darkened by the millennium mayhem. The concept theme pops up from time to time like on “Dirty Kid School” where it sounds like Tommy-era The Who. “Sunshine Girl Hello ” starts off like late ’60s power pop before shapeshifting into an NRBQ rocker; it should not work, but somehow it does. Of course singer/songwriter Robert Pollard has been pulling off tricks like these since back when new episodes of “Cheers” were being filmed, but there is something different with Earth Man Blues. Pollard and the band haven’t sounded this fresh and invigorated in years. I haven’t really settled on a favorite track, but the album centerpiece is “Lights Out Memphis Egypt.” It sounds like an indie prog-rock playing Deep Purple and Black Sabbath covers all within one song. Earth Man Blues captures the classic sound of Guided By Voices, but also sounds like it’s from the future. Dinosaur Jr. — Sweep It Into Space
I go back and forth on whether Dinosaur Jr. is the ultimate reunion success story. Since getting back together in 2005, they have released four albums and played hundreds of mesmerizing shows, but none of those albums are ones I’d ever want to go back and listen to. I wasn’t expecting much from Sweep It Into Space, but just like that, Dinosaur Jr. hits you with their best album since Hand It Over from 1997. Sweep It Into Space was mostly produced by Kurt Vile till the pandemic hit and production shut down. Singer/Guitar wizard J. Mascis ended up finishing the recording alone. Sweep It Into Space starts off like the ’70s — loud and out-of-focus, with jams like “I Ain’t” and “To Be Waiting” made to be blasted out of a cassette deck in convertible speeding down the freeway. Mascis said he was listening to a lot of Thin Lizzy when recording Sweep It Into Space, and that comes through in the melodies beneath the thrash. “I Met The Stones” is a glimpse inside Mascis’ mind as he wrestles with anxieties about meeting the Stones. It might be the oddest subject matter in the Dinosaur Jr. catalogue, but more importantly it RAWKS! The marriage of post-hardcore guitar and hooks on “Hide Another Round” makes for another classic Dino Jr. whammer jammer. “And Me” reminds me of The Head on the Door-era Cure, which, I guess considering Dinosaur covered “Just Like Heaven, ” isn’t a leap too far. “Take It Back” has a keyboard-driven verse that sounds like something broken off of Phil Spector’s wall of sound before blossoming into a power ballad. Bassist Lou Barlow contributes his usual two songs with the closing, “The Wonder,” being the more compelling. Play this sucker loud!
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Season Two of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Apocalypse: The light in the darkness
As spring rolls around in the underground, glimmers of hope abound with vaccines, warmer weather and the gradual return of live music! On the negative is the return of mass shootings, but that is another conversation for another place between people who don’t listen to each other. One of the bright spots of the pandemic is a ton of people have spent it making music! I’m way behind on reviews, so let’s see how many I get through — more to come at a time and place that is uncertain.
Jodie Treloar Sampson — I Thought I Was Dead, but I Was Really Alive (75orLess Records)
The second EP from Jodie Treloar Sampson is absolutely vibrant! “Water” opens like a campfire lullaby then flows into something more. “Cotton Candy Girl” navigates the nostalgia of youth and how time changes us. It kind of reminds me of post-modern ’70s folk. Timeless is probably more accurate, but I get paid the big bucks to make up genres that don’t exist. “Pangea” rocks against the continental drifts of a past relationship with searing lines like, “All I know is what I feel and it’s all too fucking real, going to make this good as a death row meal.” My favorite is the ballad “Fits and Starts” because the sparse instrumentation of the piano and percussion allows one to sway in the glow of Sampson’s vocals. I Thought I Was Dead, but I Was Really Alive is available on all the streaming sites. Glowing Cloud — All My Psychic Children
Glowing Cloud is a solo project by local musician veteran Eric Smith (Sweet Dreams, The Cold War). All My Psychic Children reminds me of a lo-fi version of Spacehog jamming with My Bloody Valentine on a set of Slowdive covers. The spacey imagery, both lyrically and musically, throughout the EP makes sense given Smith has been a UFO researcher for years. The verse of “Hanging Around” reminds me of an extraterrestrial Mickey and Sylvia tribute band till the chorus blasts into the horizon. My favorite track here is “Kevin’s Gate,” which has a mid-’90s Dinosaur Jr. meets The Rentals. All My Psychic Children is up under Glowing Child on all the major streaming platforms.
The Hold Steady — Open Door Policy (Positive Jams)
The first half of Open Door Policy is excellent, arguably as good as anything that they have done. On “The Feelers,” singer/guitarist Craig Finn narrates a story of a sunrise meetup to set prices that carries to a woman putting out the feelers under a poster of a spaceman saying, “Take me to your dealer.” Finn’s lyrics are short stories that come alive in the music of The Hold Steady. “Spices” kicks off with Tad Kubler’s ominous guitar riff as Finn narrates a story of that person who comes back to town, and trouble inevitably follows. The Horn Steady (the band’s horn section) adds a new dimension to the sound on tracks like “Spices” and “Heavy Covenant.” There are ongoing themes of mental illness and a lot of parades happening throughout Open Door Policy. My favorite jam is “Lanyards,” which tells the story of someone from the midwest who goes out to California to make it in show business, but only lasts four months. It might be harsh to say side B of Open Door Policy falls off a cliff, but it is no side A.
Wire Lines — Harvest Verses
Harvest Verses, the second full-length from Wire Lines, explodes out of the gate with the punk stomp of “A Wolf for Your Rabbit.” On “All of This Belongs to Me,” singer Kevin Grant proves after all these years he can still somehow nail hardcore scream. I got a sore throat just thinking about trying. “Semtex” is about as infectious of a love song named after explosives as there is. “Lines in The Sand” kicks in a grinding ’90s post-hardcore frenzy. “We Disappear” is a banger that rocks like early Husker Du playing Thin Lizzy outtakes. My two favorites here are “This Ark” and the closing “Spirits.” “This Ark” moves at a breakneck pace with lyrics offering hope on an otherwise stormy sea. “Spirits” has these fantastic hypnotic guitars and just has a different feel from everything else on the record. Harvest Verses is available on all the streaming services and there may actually be physical copies available too!
The Moodrunners — Self-titled
The debut EP from The Moodrunners explodes like a neutron bomb of power pop. It’s like The Jam meets The Strokes, noisier than The Knack, without all the indulgent Elvis Costello lyrics. The lead single, “Better Skies,” is already blowing up on radio in Japan and is sure to be the anthem of summer. Even on a song that kind of sucks like “Drown,” the energy has an I-bet-this-would-be-good-live vibe. “All In” shreds with arena riffs, stadium struts, and stops and starts, capped off with a sidecar pit sing-along chorus. My favorite is “Scrap Medal,” which combines all the best elements of punk, garage and rock. It’s like Generation X meets Thin Lizzy meets Dramarama with a sprinkle of ’60s The Who. The Moodrunners are planning to return to the stage this May; keep your eyes peeled for a date. Till then, this biscuit will drop on April 1 on Napster and all other streaming platforms. No joke.
Shows: As live music creeps back into the nightlife, here are a couple of upcoming shows at Askew. These are the only shows I’ve seen listed for April, but Union Station Brewery has been having live music on weekends. I believe Dusk is also going to start having live music in April.
Sugar Cones, The Portals, and Allison Rose will rock Askew in Providence on April 3. Doors are at 7pm.
Lenny Lashley’s Gang Of One is at Askew on April 17. Doors are at 7pm.
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Still Spinning: Twin Foxes and Gnarnia Twin Foxes – Broken Bell
Broken Bell is the new full-length from Providence rock band Twin Foxes. The album features Andrew Fortin on bass and Mann solidly performing almost every other instrument. It has a more minimalist feel than their 2018 full length, Sleeping on the Attic Floor, which featured straight-to-the-point aggression. Here, the band shoots for a musical journey and focuses on the quiet anguish of the everyday in both musical tone and lyrical content.
The ardent, anxious vibe is summed up in the title track: ”There are no words to fix a broken bell,” as well as some great lines in “You Are:” “Here I am six years late/Still trudging through the snow, still trudging through my brain.” The shuffle feel in “Wake Up” is not in your average garage band’s repertoire, and the keyboard waltz in “It’s Always Raining In My Minds” keeps things interesting.
“6 Years Old,” about leaving the past behind, employs a super-long buildup to epic effect. Two minutes in, after some more muted chords and picking, you get slammed with the full electric treatment. Mann’s Conor Oberst-esque muffled, stylized vocals sometimes come off a bit repetitive and hollow in songs like “The Burden” and “White Rabbit.”
My favorite, “The Wall,” has the sprawling, melancholy vibe perfected by Modest Mouse and uses the title as an effective metaphor about overcoming real or perceived hurdles, which hits home the COVID era. The song builds off of a creeping groove and summons a ton of emotion with just a few simple strums.
Mann’s background as a producer comes through as well, as he recorded the album himself at his own Distorted Forest studio. I think the album’s biggest accomplishment are the sonic structures he is able to achieve, like the great, growling guitar alchemy in “Move Out West” and the wailing synths in “You Are.”
Buy Broken Bell at Bandcamp (all donations of $25 or over will receive a vinyl LP).
Gnarnia – cheap thrills
Gnarnia is a Providence band that plays a refreshing blast of fast, brash punk rock in the grand tradition of bands like Bad Brains and the Circle Jerks. The three-song cheap thrills EP can take you right back to the sweaty, germy circle pit that you’ve been missing all year.
Unlike some hardcore, these tunes don’t revel in mediocrity, but are expertly played and super tight. “Procrastinate” is a breakneck speed ode to everyone’s favorite stalling tactic. “Fade Away” is even faster and rawer, and barely cracks the one minute mark.
Buy cheap thrills at Bandcamp.
Vaccination Preoccupation
Here is Motif’s comprehensive collection of the best-ever songs vaguely related to vaccines.
“A Shot in the Arm” — Wilco
“A Shot in the Arm” was the second single off of Summerteeth, an album in which songwriter Jeff Tweedy began exploring more ambitious pop structures. The chaotic wall of noise and synths at the end is downright epic.
“Anodyne” — Uncle Tupelo
From Tweedy’s first band, this title track of their 1993 final album was written by Jay Ferrar. The band split just as they were beginning to find some commercial success, but the album remains a high-water mark in the alt-country genre.
“Rubella” — Smoking Popes Smoking Popes, an underrated ’90s band that combined expert punk pop melodies and crooning vocals, released “Rubella” on 1994’s Born to Quit, their only album to chart. “I’m inflamed with desire and it’s spreading like wildfire” is a killer line.
“Injection” — Rise Against
Off of 2006’s The Sufferer & the Witness, “Injection” is a great example of the era’s hook-laiden punk rock that brushed up against hardcore just enough to keep the kids interested.
“Inoculated City” — The Clash
This one is off of the band’s fractured final album, Combat Rock. It’s a bright, pop-heavy Mick Jones tune that sounds like a precursor to his post-Clash Big Audio Dynamite project. “Inoculated City” also contains an audio clip from a cleaning product ad, which I assume means something about the horrors of commercialism.
“Sure Shot” — Beastie Boys
1994’s Ill Communication continued to build the Beastie’s rep as an innovative force in hip-hop. Though the band did play the instruments themselves on most of the album, flautist Jeremy Steig’s “Howlin’ For Judy” served as the foundational sample.