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The Future Everybody – It Takes Nothing (2011)


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:

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Endless Wave @ T.T. The Bear’s Place 5.20.2011

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.



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Static Of The Gods – The Midnight Fires (2011)


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:

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Helicopter Helicopter – Squids And Other Fishes (1998)


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:

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Emily Peal @ T.T. The Bear’s Place 5.20.2011

OK, I’ll admit that I know very little about Emily Peal. She mentioned she drove up from New York for this show. I believe she lives there now. A quick search indicates strong ties to the Boston area. Looks like she may have lived here. That’s good enough for me.

One thing I know is that Emily Peal opened the Static Of The Gods EP release show at TT’s this past Friday. I also know I liked her set. I took some pictures. I will share them with you.



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The Rationales @ Lizard Lounge 5.14.2011

Here we are at the end of a most pleasant evening. The Rationales have released a wonderful new album, The Distance In Between, and we all came out and celebrate.

After The Rationales opened the night with a laid back acoustic set, we were treated to the power pop stylings of The Future Everybody. Before long we found ourselves enthralled by OldJack’s performance. Now The Rationales were coming back out to give us a proper send off. Their performance was heartfelt and determined. They were not about to let anyone leave disappointed. The Rationales sent us home smiling.

I think I’m still humming “No Guarantees”.



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OldJack @ Lizard Lounge 5.14.2011

I’m sitting here trying to describe how I felt during OldJack’s set at the underground den known as Lizard Lounge this past weekend. I write and rewrite, my words always coming up short. It’s frustrating, because I want to find some concise way to convey how wonderful it is seeing OldJack play. If you haven’t had a chance to see them, I want to tell you that there’s a good chance you are missing out on something that may bring you great joy. Did you see them in The Rumble? Unreal. OldJack breathes life into whatever room they inhabit. There is something special about the moments when Dan Nicklin, Kelly Davis, Christie Beaulieu and Emily Belastock all sing together. I want to grab you by the scruff of your neck and drag you to an OldJack show so you can see what I’ve been fortunate enough to see.

Oh, I guess I feel lucky.