Category: Blog

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OldJack @ Make Music Harvard Square 6.18.2011

June 18th, 2011 was a good day.

This particular Saturday started with a party for my Big Little One, who recently turned (I can’t believe how time flies) five years old. That afternoon, with some help from my wife, I convinced the boy to hop on the train with me to go see OldJack as part of Make Music Harvard Square…

We take the red line a few stops and arrive about 5 minutes before OldJack are scheduled to perform. Looks like things are running behind schedule. That’s not a good sign when you’re with a potentially overtired boy and dinner time is rapidly approaching. We say hi to Dan Nicklin. Big Little One seems bothered by the noise from the other bands playing. Look! A candy shop! Let’s go get a lollipop.

We walk out with a blue raspberry Dum Dum* and a fresh start. Across the street there’s a little less commotion. That’s where Big Little One gets a couple of licks in before dropping the lollipop in a puddle. Back over to Hidden Sweets we go. This time we emerge with a bubble gum flavored Dum Dum.** Big Little One tells me he’s going to wait until we get home before he eats this one.

The boy is pretty antsy by the time OldJack kicks into “Love Me Or?”. Initially he’s put off by the volume (he’s wearing earplugs and covering his ears, so there’s no real danger), but he settles in by my side as the band plays on. He’s focused. Big Little One is taking it all in. He’s sitting on my knee, now. Content.

OldJack doesn’t seem as intense in the bright of day. It’s a nice change of pace. There’s an ease about them in the afternoon sunshine. The weight they often carry into the wee hours of the morning is lifted. The band, and those watching, are left to enjoy the moment.

I feel a tugging on my leg. Big Little One wants to go. It’s only a few songs into the set, but he’s hungry. And tired. We head back toward the train.

“Dad, when we get in the car can we listen to that band on a CD? I want to hear that song.”

“Which song?” I ask.

“The first one. I want to hear that song.”

“Sure thing, buddy.”

*The lollipop cost 12 cents. The cashier at Hidden Sweets tells me that’s the minimum amount charged on by-the-pound candy. This information is going to come in handy in a bit.

**The bubble gum Dum Dum would also end up getting dropped. The boy was very tired. Thankfully, we had a spare at home.

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Tony Savarino – Guitaring (2010)


Tony Savarino
Guitaring
2010

Guitaring makes one thing abundantly clear; Tony Savarino is good at playing the guitar. Really good. On this full length record, Tony has assembled a crack backing band and manages to pick his way through all manner of guitar instrumental. Rock, lounge, spy, country, folk, jazz… it’s all represented here. There’s also an unlisted track that sounds kind of like The Monkees with a female singer (that’s a compliment).

Oh, and the cover photo is amazing.

Where to get it:

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Parlour Bells @ The Rosebud Bar 6.17.2011

I’m a sucker for Parlour Bells.

There’s something about their ’80s inspired, moody pop that gets to me. It’s more than just the catchy tunes. Everyone in the band knows exactly what needs to be done. They’ve also got style to go with their substance. They’ve got showmanship. They’ve got a flask.

This Rosebud show proves that the fantastic set I caught at Brighton Music Hall a couple of months ago was no fluke. Parlour Bells are onto something.



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Sugar Snow – Sugar Snow (2010)


Sugar Snow
Sugar Snow
2010

Sugar Snow play perfectly pleasant pop. Simone Berk sings sad songs, but don’t distress; the overall tone is indubitably inoffensive. There’s a ’90s indie influence to their modern music. Sugar Snow sometimes sound similar to Aimee Mann, Freedy Johnston or Juliana Hatfield. This self-titled set is a respectable release.

Where to get it:

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Muy Cansado @ The Rosebud Bar 6.17.2011

This was my first time seeing Muy Cansado. By the middle of their set I was hooked. Their sound echoes of Boston bands gone by, but it pushes forward. A nod to the past, a wink to the future and a new fan walks out the door of The Rosebud.



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The Future Everybody @ The Rosebud Bar 6.17.2011

The Future Everybody opened up another fine show at The Rosebud.* Turns out their guitar based power pop with keyboard icing goes well with just about anything.



*In this case “another fine show” refers to both The Future Everybody playing first on another great bill (as they did here and here) and yet another great night at The Rosebud (like this one or this one). We’re spoiled here in Boston. You know that, right?

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Corin Ashley – The Abbey Road Session (2010)

Corin Ashley - The Abbey Road Sessions - Cover
Corin Ashley & The Chocolate Olivers
The Abbey Road Session (“Badfinger Bridge” b/w “Second Hand Halo”)
2010

What happens when you send one of Boston’s best pop songwriters across the pond to record at Abbey Road? Magic. Corin made the most of his time at the legendary studio and cut two of his finest songs to date.

The A side of this single is “Badfinger Bridge”. It’s a mid-tempo number that makes good use of Corin’s upper register and channels the energy of the surroundings. Echos of The Beatles and, yes, Badfinger are all over this thing. The song breathes. It is beautifully written and lovingly performed.

Corin cuts loose on the B side. “Second Hand Halo” takes the “Taxman” riff, pairs it up with a healthy dose of Squeeze songcraft and tops it off with a Wings era McCartney vocal. The bit at the end of the bridge that sounds like Queen blows my mind every time I hear it. And the cough! This is how you write a pop song, folks. Amazing.

Corin Ashley - The Abbey Road Sessions - Close Up

Corin kept a journal about the experience of recording at Abbey Road. It’s a great read. You can check it out on his website. The vinyl is a 45 RPM, vibrant blue, small hole 7″. These songs are also available as a digital download. Get it!

Where to get it:

Corin Ashley - The Abbey Road Sessions - Vinyl

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Mike Gent – “Victoria” b/w “Big Sky” (2010)

Mike Gent - Victoria - Cover
Mike Gent
“Victoria” b/w “Big Sky”
2010

Back in 2009, Mike Gent went into The Moontower with Scott Janovitz to cut a couple of Kinks covers. The songs were for “Do It Again”, a documentary about Geoff Edgers trying to reunite the band. What they came out with are faithful, passionate and inspired versions of “Victoria” and “Big Sky”.

Mike Gent plays everything here, save for some backing vocals on “Big Sky” by Scott Janovitz. The performances are spot on. The sounds are authentic. You can tell Mr. Gent has a deep rooted love for this music. It would be hard to overstate how cool this record is. It’s a must have for fans of Mike Gent or The Kinks. I suspect there’s a fairly large overlap with those two groups. I would imagine those folks are on their second or third copies by now.

Mike Gent - Victoria - Headless Guitar Guy

As for the physical product, it’s a black vinyl, 45 RPM, big hole 7″ record with a cool fold out cover by David Plunkert.

Where to get it:

If you’re looking for a copy of this 7″, your best bet would be to contact Geoff Edgers, producer and star of “Do It Again”…

Mike Gent - Victoria - Heart

Mike Gent - Victoria - Poster