Boston Rock Photos And Stuff
Lifestyle is in The Rumble. That means they’ll be back on the TT’s stage in early April to do what they did there last Tuesday night: smash people in the face with sweet synth sounds and lavish pop hooks.
The 2013 Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble participants have been announced! Looking down the list, it seems like we’re in for another good one this year. It happens time and time again. Every year 24 different bands remind us what a vibrant music community we have here in Boston. The depth of talent around these parts is astonishing. I saw 273 sets from area bands last year, yet I only managed to catch 11 of the 24 acts that will take the TT’s stage this April to vie for the coveted Rumble Tiara. That’s fantastic.
The nine night pass is available now. The individual show lineups will be announced Sunday night on Boston Emissions. In the meantime, here are some links to help get you familiar with your new favorite bands…
Blackbutton
(Facebook|Twitter|Bandcamp)
Camden
(Facebook|Twitter|Bandcamp)
Cancer Killing Gemini
(Web|Facebook|Twitter|Bandcamp)
Coyote Kolb
(Web|Facebook|Twitter|Bandcamp)
The Daily Pravda
(Web|Facebook|Twitter|Bandcamp)
The Deep North
(Web|Facebook|Twitter|Bandcamp)
Eddie Japan
(Web|Facebook|Twitter|Bandcamp)
Endation
(Facebook|Twitter|Bandcamp)
The Field Effect
(Web|Facebook|Twitter|Bandcamp)
Herra Terra
(Web|Facebook|Twitter|Bandcamp)
Jack Burton vs. David Lo Pan
(Facebook|Twitter|Bandcamp)
Lifestyle
(Web|Facebook|Twitter|Bandcamp)
Mount Peru
(Web|Facebook|Twitter|Bandcamp)
The New Highway Hymnal
(Facebook|Twitter|Bandcamp)
The Okay Win
(Web|Facebook|Twitter|Bandcamp)
Parks
(Web|Facebook|Twitter|Bandcamp)
Ruby Rose Fox
(Web|Facebook|Twitter|Bandcamp)
The Suicide Dolls
(Facebook|Twitter|Bandcamp)
Supermachine
(Web|Facebook|Twitter|Bandcamp)
Twin Berlin
(Web|Facebook|Twitter|Bandcamp)
Velah
(Web|Facebook|Twitter|Bandcamp)
Whitcomb
(Web|Facebook|Twitter|Bandcamp)
White Dynomite
(Web|Facebook|Bandcamp)
Glenn Yoder & The Western States
(Facebook|Twitter|Bandcamp)
Parks
“Modern Fiction”
2013
I have a history of thinking that there’s no way songwriter Brian E. King can top himself.* You’d think Parks’ debut single, “Sweater Weather”, would have taught me a lesson. I still had doubts. “Modern Fiction” should dispel that notion for good. I was pleasantly nodding along to the song’s vintage groove, particularly the “going crazy” part, when 2:35 happened. From that point on, “Modern Fiction” turns into a systematic dressing down of anyone who thinks that they know how to write a song. It’s masterful. The bridge perfectly contrasts with the parts that precede it before morphing into Super-Mega-Awesome-Reprise-O-Tron. Mind blown. I will doubt no more.
Where to get it:
* Which, not coincidentally, means I also have a history of being wrong.
Aloud is one of those bands that kills it every time they take the stage.* Even when they play first on a Tuesday night.** What more could you ask for? A set full of gutsy pop hooks? Done.
* You know, a good band.
**Especially when they play first on a Tuesday night? Possibly. This is a band that does not take for granted that people came out to see them.
Velah
Knotted / Glass Heart (Acoustic)
2013
Velah continue to find the perfect balance between atmosphere and immediacy on their latest single. “Knotted” opens with a slightly off-kilter, circular guitar riff that would have been at home on Amnesiac. This entrancing guitar line is offset by Nick Murphy’s measured vocal. His voice is a calming force amid the complex rhythm patterns. “Knotted” is a Velah song, so we’re soon awash in haunting backing vocals, swells of saturation and layers of delay. I wouldn’t want it any other way.
“Knotted” is backed by an acoustic version of “Glass Heart” from the bands Black Olympia EP.
Where to get it:
The Frost Heaves closed out a Monday night at TT’s with a blustery set.
Indiana Handshake came up from Providence to display their finely-honed, modern rock wares for the people of T.T. The Bear’s.
The Milling Gowns just put me on notice. I caught them for the first time earlier this year when they won over a Radio crowd. I enjoyed that set. The band’s set at TT’s last week was something else entirely. It was vital. There was urgency. The Milling Gowns are building toward something big. Let’s see how this plays out.
The Fagettes
“If I See Him Again”
b/w “On Drugs” and “My Girl Looks Like Johnny Thunders”
2012
The Fagettes are dangerous, raw and cut to the bone on “If I See Him Again.” This is Link Wray with lyrics, banned on late ’50s radio for all the right reasons. It’s viscous and vengeful, scathing and stark. It’s the sound of early rock ‘n’ roll distilled down and aged in barrels made from the beer-soaked wood floors of abandoned clubs. “On Drugs” mixes in a bit of Velvet Underground vibe. “My Girl Looks Like Johnny Thunders” has all the attitude of its namesake. The Fagettes mean business.
The vinyl itself is a small hole, basic black, 331/3 RPM 7″ in a full-color jacket. It comes with a digital download.
Where to get it:
You People have just jumped on to my imaginary list of favorite bands around town. I missed the trio’s first few shows. The fourth time was the charm. Their angst-addled fuzzfest has got me buzzing.
