Boston Rock Photos And Stuff
The New Dumb
You’re Welcome
2011
The New Dumb have a new mini-EP available for your enjoyment. What’s a mini-EP? Two songs. It’s a free download. Why not give it a listen? You might like it. What does it sound like? Sort of like early The Get Up Kids meets the Buzzcocks. It’s got spunk. “Nihlist Wishlist” gets stuck in my head.*
Where to get it:
*The spelling of “Nihlist Wishlist” may be a typo or it might be intentional. I don’t know. Do you? Either way I like the song.
The sound reverberates for a moment within the walls of TT’s before being absorbed by the mass of people huddled before the stage. Can they feel it? The sound? The moment?
This is a celebration for the release of Static Of The God’s new EP, The Midnight Fires. There are a full range of emotions on display tonight. There is certainly the mutual appreciation between band and audience, but there’s something heavy in the air, as well. It all comes out in the performance. Music as therapy. A weight lifted. Beat beat beat.
Beware The Dangers Of A Ghost Scorpion!
Undead In The Fallout Shelter
2010
Beware The Dangers Of A Ghost Scorpion! recorded Undead In The Fallout Shelter live on WUML last summer. I don’t have a whole lot to say about this one. If a band that sounds like Dick Dale and The Ventures with touches of Texas twang, punk, and rockabilly sounds like it might be up your alley, you should probably check this out, because it’s good.
Where to get it:
The Future Everybody
It Takes Nothing
2011
The Future Everybody know how to do power pop. “Amy (Don’t Blame Me)” makes that evident right from the start of their new EP, It Takes Nothing. There’s a horn arrangement in the chorus that’s absolutely spot on. It’s unexpected, but not the least bit out of place. “Pictures Of You” and “Strings” keep things snappy. There are bop-baddas, witty lyrics, clever bridges and memorable melodies.
It Takes Nothing closes with “Immortal”. The Mellotron-like intro is a nice touch. It’s the little things like this that make a good power pop record. In this case, though, it’s Nate Rogers’ man-unhinged lyrics that puts the song over the top.
Where to get it:
Endless Wave chose this Friday night at TT’s to celebrate the release of their new LP, Notes From The Compound. I want to call their set “cosmic” for some reason. Hmmm. Seems to fit.
Endless Wave’s set was cosmic.
Static Of The Gods
The Midnight Fires
2011
Static Of The Gods have never shied away from the melancholic or atmospheric. On The Midnight Fires they continue to paint dreamy landscapes for Jen Johnson’s vocals to explore.
Opener “Lake Effect” picks up right where Knowledge Machine, the band’s previous effort, left off. A tense opening builds to a bit of a frenzy before giving way to the sentimental “Collectors”. “Hauntings” is fairly stripped down. The usual layers of synthesizers are pulled back, allowing a fuzzy riff to roll the song along before picking up the tempo half way through.
Static Of The Gods leave us with the EP’s finest moment. “Beat Beat Beat” sways and breathes. It’s a song you feel as much as hear. The buzz subsides.
Where to get it:
Soft Pyramids are cool. Really cool.
Vary Lumar brought their modern indie rock sounds to the TT’s stage.
Emily Peal performs the oh-so-cute-oh-wait-no-what-are-these-surprising-undertones song “Wise To You” at TT’s. Look for the song on her new album coming out this summer.
Helicopter Helicopter
Squids And Other Fishes
1998
“What are you doing later tonight? Well I don’t know, I guess maybe drugs and gay porno…”
Squids And Other Fishes was the debut full length from Helicopter Helicopter. It was the darkest and most raw record the band made. There were images of things you don’t really want to know about. These were songs about the night. This was like a musical adaptation of Taxi Driver.
“Split my lip on a bottle of Jack. I swear to God I never felt so good…”
There was noise and space. Both were equally brutal when wielded by Helicopter Helicopter. Squids And Other Fishes was off kilter indie rock – evil off kilter indie rock. The sparse arrangement of “Great Big Meaningless” added to the dirge-like feel. “Please Please Tito” and “Gay Porno” went for the jugular. To this day, “Lucky” is one of my favorite songs ever to come out of Boston.
“What if you knew?”
Chris Zerby and Julie Chadwick shared song writing and vocal duties in the band. The boy/girl dynamic contrasted well with the subject matter. Both seemed to enjoy the role of pied piper, luring the listener into their twisted world.
“I’m the only one who can stand you!”
The band did hint at the catchy indie rock that would dominate some of their later releases. Choruses got stuck in your head (until the next one came along to dislodge it), but the pop sensibilities never overpowered the dark imagery. In the end Squids And Other Fishes was about life in the gutter.
“We’ll smoke crack at the end of the world…”
Where to get it:
