Boston Rock Photos And Stuff
Beware The Dangers Of A Ghost Scorpion!
Undead In The Fallout Shelter
2010
Beware The Dangers Of A Ghost Scorpion! recorded Undead In The Fallout Shelter live on WUML last summer. I don’t have a whole lot to say about this one. If a band that sounds like Dick Dale and The Ventures with touches of Texas twang, punk, and rockabilly sounds like it might be up your alley, you should probably check this out, because it’s good.
Where to get it:
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:
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:
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:
Watts
On The Dial
2010
Watts are back. Guess what? They still sound like Watts. Are you surprised? You shouldn’t be. Watts have their sound and they’re sticking to it. On The Dial is well rounded power pop with its roots in good old fashioned rock n’ roll.
The album opens with the one-two punch of “On The Dial” and “Chaperone”. Dan Kopko’s gruff voice tears through the mix with conviction. “Afterburn” and “Time To Give The Devil His Due”, the latter sung by drummer John Lynch, get a healthy charge of AC/DC. “Girls On Holiday” has a Phil Spector vibe (maybe it’s the guitar line nicked from “Then He Kissed Me”). Do I hear a guiro in “Dancehall Days & Nights”? I’m a sucker for a good guiro part. Guitarist John Blout takes a vocal turn on the hooky “She Wants To Rock”. Craig LaPointe’s lead vocals on “Don’t Mind” help to add a bit of variety late in the proceedings. The scathing “Fight Song” is the most aggressive Watts tune to date.
On The Dial is another solid effort from Watts. I expected nothing less.
Where to get it:
Ultrabreakfast
Ice Cream Tricycle
1997
Mix equal parts Pavement and Smudge (the Australian, Tom Morgan fronted Smudge) and you’ll get a rough idea of what Ultrabreakfast sounds like. It’s quirky, fuzzy, catchy and fun. The production is mid-fi, the playing is a little sloppy, and it’s full of heart. All of this is documented on their full length album, Ice Cream Tricycle.
While much of the record is full of indie rock crackle and buzz, my favorite song on Ice Cream Tricycle is a straight up pop tune. “Mary” has a sweet guitar line and a simple melody that works well with Josh Boughey’s cool vocal delivery. The song has an innocence to it that will put a smile on your face.
The rest of Ice Cream Tricycle has something for everyone. There are quick and dirty up tempo numbers like “Orange Car,” “Dragon” and “Wishlist” (which mentions such wonderful things as Superchunk, albino kangaroos, time machines and dear departed local legend Billy Ruane). Kristen Day’s kick-snare beat and Tim Farrell’s slide guitar give “On The Floor” an almost country feel. The slower numbers provide the band some room to experiment with their sound. These songs serve as a showcase for Paul Wisner’s creative guitar effects. There’s even a conceptual song trilogy within the album’s ranks. All of this in under 40 minutes. That’s some marvelous ’90s indie rock efficiency.
Where to get it:
The Rationales
The Distance In Between
2011
The Rationales have taken their Wilco, Tom Petty and Big Star influenced sound and injected it with a hefty dose of late ’90s indie rock in the vein of Buffalo Tom, Teenage Fanclub and Matthew Sweet. What do all of those acts have in common? Great songs. So it is with Dave Mirabella and his bandmates.
The Distance In Between is a damn fine record. “Tongue Tied” and “Another Moon” both have a nice mid-tempo feel. “Braedon” and “Jaded” ratchet the energy up a level. “Still We Believe” is anthemic. Spot on backing vocals and melodic guitar lines compliment every track. The production is excellent. Like I said, a damn fine record.
Guitarist Kevin McMahon takes over lead vocal duties on one of my favorite tracks, “Try To Tell Me”. This song was driving me crazy. The overall sound reminded me of another record I couldn’t place. Finally I realize that the song sounds like it could have come from John P. Strohm’s criminally overlooked Vestavia album. That’s good company to keep.
I’ll leave you with this snazzy lyric from “Slower-Faster”:
Cut it live or multi-track it
Either way it’s made of plastic
I love that.
Full Disclosure: I took the photos that grace the cover of The Distance In Between. The lovely and talented Nicole Anguish of Daykamp Creative made the whole thing look great. Don’t hate this record because it’s beautiful.
Where to get it:
I Have Ears
Fourbanger
2011
Ashley Willard from Boston Band Crush made a simple Facebook post about the new I Have Ears EP rocking her world a while back. I must remember to thank her for that. Based on that simple post, I downloaded Fourbanger from the I Have Ears Bandcamp page and have been listening to this fine EP ever since. The opening track, “Jacker”, is probably my favorite, drawing me in right from the get go. The songs are hooky and fun with just enough edge to keep things from getting to sugary. It’s got shades of Joe Jackson, Elvis Costello, The Kinks, Tom Petty and all sorts of other good stuff. I look forward to delving into the rest of their releases.
Where to get it:
Static Of The Gods
Knowledge Machine
2010
Static Of The Gods play a lush, dark, dreamy and modern sounding brand of indie rock. Knowledge Machine is mid-tempo and melodic, with varying degrees of intensity. For the most part Jen Johnson’s vocals sail along over synthesizer pads, fizzy guitars, and steady drums. They play the loud/quiet/loud card well on “Meteor Flights”. Songs like “Mean Streak” and “White Flag” ratchet the combustibility up a notch, burning bright but never truly letting go. It’s a tense burn. Even the quieter moments, like on “Eating Well”, never feel fully at ease.
While they may not vary their sound much, Static Of The Gods have a way with melancholy. It’s all a bit unnerving and very effective.
Where to get it:
Sodafrog
Hang The Moon
2010
Sodafrog’s Hang The Moon comes from another time. It’s folk music. It is heartbreaking, heartwarming and haunting. Tom Janovitz’s voice weaves in and out of the sparse and varied instrumentation. The overall sound draws you in with its intimacy.
“Follow The Vine” is an engaging opening track. “Central Nonsense” is beautiful and timeless. “Chances At Sea” calls Elliott Smith to mind. I love when a song title perfectly describes the feel of a song. Such is the case with “Like Dancing”. “A Casting” could have come off of a Simon & Garfunkel LP. The songs are memorable, living with you long after you’ve heard them.
The circular instrumental “Untitled (For Townes)” wraps things up nicely. It’s time to go. Given the chance, Hang The Moon is an album that will grow on you with every listen.
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