Category: Blog

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Parlour Bells @ T.T. The Bear’s Place 3.8.2012

Hey, look! Corsets aren’t just for Jane’s Addiction tribute nights anymore! Glenn DiBenedetto dusted his off for the Parlour Bells set at TT’s.* Was this a Rumble preview set? Maybe. It was certainly Rumble-worthy. Parlour Bells return to TT’s for their preliminary night on April 5th.

* Do corsets get dusty?

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Animal Talk @ T.T. The Bear’s Place 3.8.2012

By the end of Animal Talk’s set at TT’s, I was hooked. These guys seem to have stumbled upon same magical concoction of rock, pop and dance music that allows each aspect to shine. I look forward to catching these guys again at The Rumble…

Oh! Animal Talk also did a spot-on cover of “Easy Lover”.* I feel like that should be mentioned.

* Brendan Boogie was, perhaps, more excited about this than any adult should have been. Good for him.

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The Rationales – “Radio” (2012)


The Rationales
“Radio”
2012

Well, The Rationales have done it again. The band went into Q Division with producer Ed Valauskas and came out with a top notch recording of a killer song.

The Rationales debuted “Radio” at the opening of the club it shares a name with. They were rightfully giddy in doing so. They knew that had a scorcher on their hands. The song is a blistering rock number, shedding much of the Americana that the band is usually tagged with in favor of a driving beat, fuzzed-out bass and jagged guitars. The Rationales continue to evolve as a band while maintaining a knack for writing a good hook. It’ll be fun to hear what they come up with next.

Where to get it:

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Full Body Anchor @ T.T. The Bear’s Place 3.2.2012

After the last time I caught a Full Body Anchor set, I vowed to go see them more often. That turned out to be one of my better decisions. Their set at the Big Queer Rock Show (a benefit for BAGLY – Boston Alliance for Gay and Lesbian Youth) was awesome. Full Body Anchor shows are intense. I love this band.

Too bad Rice didn’t win the raffle prize he wanted. That would have made things really interesting.

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Cancer Killing Gemini @ T.T. The Bear’s Place 3.2.2012

Whoa. I don’t know what I was expecting from Cancer Killing Gemini, but it wasn’t this. The band has an early Nine Inch Nails kind of sound, but with more of a back beat. So cool. Their set was aggressive, desperate, invigorating and ultimately very compelling. I look forward to checking these guys out again.

I guess the band’s singer, Eric Michael Cohen, was responsible for putting together the lineup for the Big Queer Rock Show. The night was a benefit for BAGLY (Boston Alliance for Gay and Lesbian Youth). That makes me like Cancer Killing Gemini even more.

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Oilhead @ T.T. The Bear’s Place 3.2.2012

The Big Queer Rock Show was a benefit for BAGLY (Boston Alliance for Gay and Lesbian Youth). It all went down Friday night at TT’s. Oilhead took to the stage with an energetic set.

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Airport – Go Up (2011)


Airport
Go Up
2011

With Go Up, Airport have created a fantastic pop record. I call it “pop” for lack of a better term. This sometimes-rock/sometimes-Americana/always-melodic record draws heavily from both the FM and AM bands of the ’70s radio dial. The closest comparison I can think of is a rockin’ version of Jackson Browne with Teenage Fanclub harmonies. Check out “Yeah” and the damn near perfect “Knot Again” for a couple of examples. That doesn’t tell the whole story, though. The title track has some Tom Petty twang. “Hate You” balances a biting verse with a sweet chorus melody that makes the medicine go down a little easier. The band hints at psychedelic pop on the verses to “Automatically Everything”. Locally, these guys are mining the same territory as bands like The Rationales and Eric Salt & The Electric City.* Like those bands, they’re doing it very well. Go Up holds its own with the best of ’em.

Oh, and the “Crimson and Clover” reference in “Comfortable” is one of the best things I’ve heard in a long time.

Where to get it:

* Go Up sports one member of Eric Salt & The Electric City, with another member having recently joined Airport for live shows.

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Eddie Japan @ T.T. The Bear’s Place 2.24.2012

Eddie Japan have some pretty great songs. “Pushing Years”, “You Will Find Me Dead In My Comfort Zone” and “The Power Of Negative Thinking” are some of the best pop tunes you’ll hear bouncing off of club walls around the city. They played these songs at TT’s last Friday night and made me very happy. Thanks, guys.