Boston Rock Photos And Stuff
Parks. Outside. Harvard Square. Mayfair. Beautiful day. Beautiful sounds. Time with the boy. Time in the sun. Taking pictures. Hanging out. Let’s do this again sometime.
Good golly, Parks, you are one fine musical group. I’d write a gushing review of your show at The Sinclair for WERS’ 65th Anniversary, but I’ve only got a couple of minutes. I’d rather spend them pre-ordering your record.
OK, here are some photos…
Hey, Parks! We need to talk. Remember, during the snowstorm, when you played “Holiday Road” and it was stuck in my head for weeks? Well, I just got it out and you go and play it again? At least I’ve got “Sweater Weather” and “Modern Fiction” in there, too. Anyway, it looks like the good word about Rock-n-Romp is getting out. January’s edition sold out, with Parks dispensing musical earworms to the crowd of all ages.
During a snowstorm… At The Middle East Downstairs… As part of Indie Rock Ranger’s Holiday Spectacular… Parks turned “Holiday Road” into a holiday classic.
Every Parks gig feels like an event. They’ve scored some sweet slots on big shows. They’ve played with some great bands. They Rumbled. The band’s most recent show was doubly special: They opened for The Motion Sick reunion while simultaneously releasing their new 7″ single. Not too shabby.
Parks opened Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble Preliminary Night #6 with a set of the most finely crafted tunes you’re likely to hear anywhere. High quality stuff.
Rumble Preliminary Night #6:
Parks
Jack Burton Vs. David Lo Pan
Ruby Rose Fox
The Daily Pravda (Winner)
Parks
“Sweater Weather”
2012
The King of Pop Mountain has returned. Parks is the new outfit from Oranjuly mastermind Brian E. King. “Sweater Weather” is the band’s first single. It proves that I may have been premature in my prediction that Mr. King may soon be battling dragons, bees and broken glass. Apparently there is no bottom to the well from which he draws some of the city’s best power pop. Jangly guitars, bouncing bass, a snappy beat and the perfect tambourine part keep the groove buzzing along under the pitch perfect hooktastic harmonies. Every facet of this gem has been polished to perfection. All the pieces work together, unlike the hodgepodge of words I’ve thrown together in this post. I should have just told you to listen to the song.
Where to get it:
Despite my love of their self-titled album, I’ve somehow never been able to catch Oranjuly live. My loss. Their set at TT’s was as good as I had imagined it would be.
Friday morning the world seemed a little more right…
After catching Sidewalk Driver opening for The B-52s* at the House Of Blues, I rushed over to the Kenmore Square T stop in an effort to get to The Middle East in time to catch The Russians. You’d be hard pressed to find a band in town with better songs than Scott Janovitz and his cohorts. It had been a long time since I’d had a chance to catch one of their sets. I needed a fix.
I walked into the Middle East Upstairs during the band’s second song. It was dark. Really dark. A couple of those fake candles they put on the tables in restaurants would have provided more light than the club’s red stage lights. It fit the music, I suppose. The songs came off a little darker and heavier tonight. “Not So Loud” packed a particular punch. The Russians covering Elliott’s Smith’s “Bottle Up And Explode” is certainly something I wouldn’t mind hearing more often. The band even debuted a new song, which is the best thing Scott Janovitz has ever written. At least I hope so. He threatened to break up the band if it wasn’t. So, it was. This world needs The Russians.
* Bikini Whale was better.
Cheap Trick, Player, The Who, Gerry Rafferty… Thick As Thieves present the hits of 1978!
Oh, the fun that is the MixTape series. These guys covered a wide range of ’70s styles with a little help from Oranjuly’s Brian King. The hits just kept on coming. For a rousing rendition of the Toto classic, “Hold The Line”, the band was joined by, you guessed it, Davina Yannetty…
