Boston Rock Photos And Stuff
It’s pretty remarkable how effortlessly the guys in Eddie Japan can blend musical styles.* Pop, rock, lounge and spaghetti western motifs are all in play during an Eddie Japan show. Some songs will have you tapping your toes while others will whisk you away to exotic musical locales. What a great way to cap off a heat wave.
* Or at least how effortless they make it seem.
Great songs have always been a trademark of The Rationales. Saturday night these guys added a couple of new gems to their setlist. I immediately fell in love with “Let It Go,” a song that wouldn’t sound out of place on side two of Abbey Road. Keep an ear out for that one.
Here are The Vivs at Precinct. They sport a classic Boston indie sound that they’ve gussied up with some three part harmonies.* Not willing to settle for the embarrassment of riches that is three competent vocalists in one band, The Vivs invited Sophia Cacciola** up on stage for a particularly haunting number.
* In the grand Boston rock tradition, The Vivs even busted out a Kinks cover.
** Recent “Best Female Vocalist” winner in the Boston Phoenix Best Music Poll for her work with Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling.
The Franc Graham Band mixes a low rock aesthetic with traditional songwriting and modern arrangements. Their Precinct set entertained a crowd seeking relief from the last gasps of an early summer heatwave.
Garvy J. And The Secret Pockets Of Hope And Resistance
“Celebrate”
2011
Garvy J And The Secret Pockets Of Hope And Resistance were one of the standout bands of the 2012 Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble. This song was one of the big reasons why. “Celebrate” bristles with life both in a live setting and on this recording. It’s an upbeat Summerteeth-era Wilco tune with an adventurist twist. It’s a kinetic Flaming Lips track with a smooth vocal delivery. It’s vibrant. It’s vivid. It’s vital.
Where to get it:
Tallahassee played TT’s Friday night. It’s hotter than Tallahassee around these parts today. Coincidence? Probably. No matter. This was my first time seeing Tallahassee. It’s indie rock with some twang, stomp and singalongability. I like ’em.
The Michael J. Epstein Memorial Library experimented with playing along to a silent movie they made. If this is anything like the way Mr. Epstein “experiments” with new bands, expect to see more of this in the future.
I love Cask Mouse. I love their songs. I love their vocal arrangements. I love their attitude, energy and charisma. Most of all I love their enthusiasm. Their love for what they do makes it easy to get behind them. It doesn’t take long for the TT’s crowd to do just that.
While some bands take years to settle into their sound, Velah seem to have emerged with a fully formed musical identity. Will they evolve over time? That’s an exciting inevitability for a unit that is so in tune with each other.
Streight Angular
“Muhsheenz Machines Meschynes (We Were Machines)”
2012
Sometimes a band is so surprising that you forget to be surprised by their surprises. Then there are bands that are even more surprising than that, surprising you with their ability to surprise you even when you thought you found their surprises unsurprising. If I’ve followed myself correctly, Streight Angular falls into the latter category. After an EP of fuzz guitar freak-outs and a Beach Boys-inspired Christmas number, the band has released a synth-heavy new wave single. What? A Streight Angular tune without buzzing guitars? They’re still there, but they take a back seat to the sounds of the electronic gizmos. “Muhsheenz Machines Meschynes (We Were Machines)” does sport a pair of Streight Angular signatures: a snappy beat and a simple vocal hook that will have you singing along in no time. I guess the least surprising thing about this song is how much I love it.
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