Boston Rock Photos And Stuff
Cooling Towers
“Charlotte”
2011
Cooling Towers grab you right from the get-go on “Charlotte” with feedback drenched guitars and an undeniable bass line. It’s not long before the drums snap into place and the band launches into a sizzling piece of post punk bliss. It’s aggressive, melodic and it grooves. So good.
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The Daily Pravda
“Moonage Daydream”
2012
The Daily Pravda formed with the hope of “doing to Ziggy Stardust what Oasis did to the Beatles”. Well, gentlemen, mission accomplished. The band recorded this with Dan Gonzales at Esthudio in anticipation of their recent tribute set to the now retirement-aged icon. There’s nothing unexpected here, just a solid send up of a Bowie classic. What more could you want?
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Darling Pet Munkee
Glows In The Dark!
2012
Darling Pet Munkee is what happens when the kids who grew up on comic books, The Cramps and The Misfits decide to make a record just for the hell of it. The kids in this case are Michael J. Epstein, Sophia Cacciola and Catherine Capozzi. Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling meets Axemunkee in name and sound.
The subject matter for Glows In The Dark! (and the band’s name) comes from the ads in the back of old comic books. Songs like “X-Ray Specs”, “Kung-Fu Sandals” and “MONSTER S-I-Z-E MONSTERS” are given a garage/surf treatment. Even the ubiquitous “Sea-Monkeys” are fodder for this trio. The band’s website reveals the inspiration for each track, which is quite the fun read. Thankfully, the songs focus on what the products could have been rather than the inevitable disappointment delivered by the postman. Although, if a “Darling Pet Monkey” showed up at your door, disappointment would be the least of your worries.
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Ryan Schmidt
White Horse EP
2012
Knowing nothing about Ryan Schmidt except that he was in Golden Owl*, I click on over to the Bandcamp page for the White Horse EP and am immediately floored. The finger-picked guitar. The voice with the somber tone and a touch of optimism. The strings. Oh, the strings! I don’t know what I was expecting, but this Nick Drake dream was certainly not it. What a nice surprise.
I’m hooked, and I scroll down to look for credits to see who was responsible for this blind-side assault. OK. Recorded by Rafi Sofer, mastered by Mike Quinn. These guys know their stuff. Wait, strings recorded by Aaron Tap at QuailTop Studios? That could only mean one thing. Yup, string arrangement by Paula Kelley.** Well, there you go. This is how you do it. Write a great song that you can play and sing the hell out of and then surround yourself with some of the best music making people around. “White Horse” is a masterpiece.
The rest of the EP is pretty darn good, too. I love Ryan’s finger picking, which returns on “Go Where You Belong”. The harmony vocals by Tim Gearan and the twelve-string on “November 15” are a nice touch. White Horse EP is a solid effort all around.
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* One of my favorite One Night Bands. I even got to shoot their official promo picture!
** Aaron Tap and Paula Kelley live out in LA. They used to live in Boston. If you are not familiar with their work, try checking out Paula’s solo albums, Boy Wonder, Betty Goo, Hot Rod, The Weisstronauts or Boston’s best Bee Gees tribute act, The Boy Joys. You won’t be sorry.
Streight Angular
Everyone Is Syncopated
2012
After a couple of mind blowing singles, those neon-loving maniacs in Streight Angular have finally released the Everyone Is Syncopated EP. In fact, those singles kick off this new collection. Since I’ve already told you how “Everyone Is Syncopated” and “Supermarché” make my insides feel all warm and tingly, let’s jump to the new stuff.
“In My Bed, Not My Head” is a blistering freak out. Dig it. “Oh Gurl” is an ’60s pop ballad with ’80s keyboard layers. It’s an unusual paring that works quite well for these DayGlo punks. The EP closes with “Hot Pot Anaconda”, a trippy space jam with lyrics consisting of the song’s title, the occasional “woo” and rhythmically chanting “hey”. I can’t wait to hear what Streight Angular cooks up next.
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Devil On Horseback
“Devil On Horseback”
2011
The tags for this song on the Devil On Horseback Bandcamp page are “rock” and “Boston”. That’s as much a directive as it is a description. For 2 minutes and 41 seconds, that’s exactly what they do.
Fuzzed-out indie rock riffs mesh seamlessly with Bruce Caporal’s syncopated beat. Eric Waxwood’s vocals supply the commands. Take a shot. The guitars get a little extra juice right before the short-and-to-the-point classic rock solo. These guys are an efficient machine. Devil On Horseback are on a mission. Rock Boston.
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Tad & Kate
“Bad Presents”
2011
Like some demented version of “The Twelve Days Of Christmas”, Tad & Kate bring you “Bad Presents”. Rogue Roombas, allergic reactions, over-sized turtleneck sweaters and the unfortunate outcome of a dog eating chocolate covered fruit-shaped flowers are not your typical holiday song fodder. Even so, any song with lines like “I don’t mean to sound naughty / But if I could stuff your stocking / With the heat that I feel when we touch” is bound to be a holiday classic.
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Michael J. Epstein and Sophia Cacciola
“Eight More Days of Hanukkah!”
2011
Tonight is the fourth night of Hanukkah. Wouldn’t it be great if it could go on forever? Michael J. Epstein and Sophia Cacciola seem to think so. They wrote a song about it. The duo’s plan involves adding eight more days of Hanukkah after every holiday. Like Groundhog Day. And St. Patrick’s Day. And Christmas.
If this song was the basis for a Rankin/Bass holiday special, it would probably end with everybody realizing that Hanukkah is more special when there are only eight days. The rest of the year we can carry Hanukkah in our hearts. This isn’t a Rankin/Bass special, though. It’s an Epstein/Cacciola special. In their version, every day would actually be Hanukkah. There would be an endless festival of lights.
We’re going to need some more candles.
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Walter Sickert And The Army Of Broken Toys
Anticlause Superstar
2011
Walter Sickert And The Army Of Broken Toys have unleashed a dark and twisted holiday EP with some nifty cover art. Anticlause Superstar opens with the environmentally/socially conscious “Hole In The North Pole”. The message rises clearly above the gypsy din. “SlitWrist For Christmas” features graphic lyrics written by Walter Sickert when he was a morbid teenager. Teen angst wrapped in a flowing, eclectic sonic blanket. There’s a third, very cool bonus track when you download the EP. I’m not going to spoil the surprise, though. You’ll have to download this to find out what it is.
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Streight Angular
“It’s Christmas”
2011
When I first heard the opening synthesizer line of “It’s Christmas”, Streight Angular’s new holiday song, I feared the worst. Thoughts of Paul McCartney’s “Simply Having A Wonderful Christmas Time” flashed through my mind. I blacked out.
Thankfully, when I came to, what I heard was a Beach Boys inspired Christmas song with a classic holiday message. Streight Angular stick with the tried and true: kids, Christmas magic and big group vocals. The result is a joyous celebration of the season.
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