Tag: Cask Mouse

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Brace yourself, Boston. There’s gonna be rock ‘n’ roll all over you Friday night.

There’s a show I’d like to go to just about every night somewhere in this town. Some nights it can be tough to choose just one. Friday night is going to be impossible. Fourteen lovable Daykamp Music alumni will be taking the stage at five different area venues on October 17th. My brain is melting. What to do? Let’s see if we can figure this out together.

The last time White Dynomite and The Field Effect played together was one heck of a show.
The last time White Dynomite and The Field Effect played together was one heck of a show.

Let’s start at The Middle East Upstairs for a very good cause. Township, White Dynomite, The Field Effect and Triple Thick will be there for Crash Safely along with Animal Hospital. That’s alotta rock, with the money raised going to support The National MS Society. (FB Event)

Cask Mouse are doing it for the animals.
Cask Mouse are doing it for the animals.

Maybe you want to do good with your show-going dollars, but that show isn’t your thing? You could always head next door to TT’s for the latest installment of the Boston Does Boston benefit for the Animal Rescue League Of Boston. Cask Mouse, The Rationales, The Daily Pravda, Muy Cansado and The Fatal Flaw will be joined by Dave Crespo’s After Party at that one. (FB Event)

Doom Lover look harmless, but they'll kill you and immortalize you in song.
Doom Lover look harmless, but they’ll kill you and immortalize you in song.

If you’re caught up in the Boston Music Awards buzz and want to check out New Artist Of The Year nominee The Color And The Sound, then Church is the place for you. Bonus time! Doom Lover are on that bill, too. Daykamp Music loves them, but we secretly worry they’re plotting our demise. At least they’ll write a creepy-cool song about it. (FB Event)

Answerman eats PAs. I mean Answerman *at* PA's.
Answerman eats PAs. I mean Answerman *at* PA’s.

How about Answerman and Barricades at PA’s with Go Blank and Emergency Exit? Couldn’t fault you for that one, either. (FB Event)

Just another ordinary Gondoliers show.
Just another ordinary Gondoliers show.

If you can’t find something to like in one of those shows, there’s nothing I can do for you. Oh wait! Yes there is! You can go see Gondoliers at Cuisine en Locale with Shepherdess and Planet Of Adventure. This show is being filmed. I can’t even image what Gondoliers have up their sleeves. I can’t wait to see. (FB Event)

Crash Safely poster by Nicole Anguish of Daykamp Creative.
Crash Safely poster by Nicole Anguish of Daykamp Creative.
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24 Reasons Why I Can’t Wait For The 2013 Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble To Start

It’s Rumble season. Every year around this time I’m filled with an equal mix of anticipation and nostalgia. That’s the kind of event The Rumble is. You get to check out 24 of the best bands playing around town in one* fell swoop while making memories that will haunt you you’ll remember for a very long time.** With that in mind, here are 24 reasons why I can’t wait for the 2013 Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble to get underway on Sunday night. These are in no particular order, but I numbered them 24 to 1*** because that’s what all important lists do. Oh, and here’s the full schedule in case you missed it.

  1. Opening night is going to be awesome. The lineup of The Okay Win / Cancer Killing Gemini / The New Highway Hymnal / Velah is as good as they come. You’d be hard pressed to find a better way to spend a Sunday night all year. It’ll be better than the Mad Men premiere.
  2. The Rumble is known for eclectic bills, but this year takes the cake. Saturday’s Parks / Jack Burton vs. David Lo Pan / Ruby Rose Fox / The Daily Pravda lineup is certainly in contention for most diverse night of this year’s event. Thursday night’s Mount Peru / Whitcomb / Lifestyle / Twin Berlin bill is in that conversation, as well.
    3. Ruby Rose Fox is part of the crazy-diverse Saturday night lineup.
    Ruby Rose Fox is part of the crazy-diverse Saturday night lineup.
  3. There’s almost no stage banter. With only 30 minutes to impress the judges and win over the crowd, most bands have fine-tuned their sets. That makes a good line all the more memorable. My favorite came from 1998 Rumble winners The Ghost Of Tony Gold: “Vote The Ghost. We need the cash.”
  4. Pre-show beer at the back bar while shooting the breeze with some increasingly tired friends who keep coming out night after night? Yes please.
  5. There’s always a good story. Old Jack had quite the memorable run a couple of years ago. Last year Tommy Lada competed against himself in the semifinals playing with Ghosts Of Jupiter and Garvy J. And The Secret Pockets Of Hope And Resistance on the same night. We also had The Grownup Noise as the special guest band after they had to drop out of the competition due to injury. I’m looking forward to watching this year’s event unfold.
    6. OldJack's run was something special.
    OldJack’s run was something special.
  6. Anngelle Wood is going to cry. It’s inevitable. She just cares so damn much. This town needs more people like her.
  7. It’s always fun to see a band a second time. You’ve got an idea of what to expect, but you certainly don’t know all of their tricks. I get to do that 3 times on Monday (Endation / The Deep North / Camden) and one more time on Tuesday (Blackbutton).
  8. Editing photos at 3 o’clock in the morning is awesome. I think. I can’t really remember. I mean, half of the time I black out and can’t remember doing it. Sometimes I just fall asleep with my eyes open and my hand on the mouse, waiting for my brain to decide if the exposure needs to be nudged up a bit or… zzz…
  9. Bow Thayer And Perfect Trainwreck won The Rumble last year. Cask Mouse had a stellar showing as well. Girls Guns And Glory won it all a few years back. A touch of twang seems to go over well with the judges. Coyote Kolb and Glenn Yoder & The Western States would probably like to see that trend continue.
    10. Bow Thayer And Perfect Trainwreck twanged their way to a Rumble victory last year.
    Bow Thayer And Perfect Trainwreck twanged their way to a Rumble victory last year.
  10. I love seeing live bands.
  11. The Rumble is a living, breathing thing. It adapts over time. After a particularly contentious semifinal round in 1998, the wildcard was added to advance to the finals. Since then, three of those wildcards have won the whole shebang. The spirit of the event has evolved, as well. What was once a true competition is now more of a home grown music festival. Change can be a good thing.
  12. I have no idea who is going to win.
  13. I saw some of my current favorite bands for the first time in The Rumble. I’m looking at you Sidewalk Driver****, Mellow Bravo and The Susan Constant. Am I going to become obsessed with The Okay Win, The New Highway Hymnal, Herra Terra, Supermachine, Glenn Yoder & The Western States, Coyote Kolb, The Suicide Dolls, Mount Peru, Whitcomb, Twin Berlin, Parks or Jack Burton vs. David Lo Pan? I wouldn’t bet against it.
    14. Mellow Bravo won me over at The Rumble.
    Mellow Bravo won me over at The Rumble.
  14. I love Eddie Japan. It’s movie music where I get to make up the movie in my mind. I don’t know who will advance from Tuesday night’s lineup, but I’m pretty sure everyone will walk out of TT’s with the trumpet line from “A Town Called Nowhere” in their head.
  15. White Dynomite members have participated in more Rumbles than all of the other bands combined. Hell, my band even lost to one of these guys back in 2002. Will all that experience give these guys an edge? Find out next Friday.
  16. Looking at the list of past Rumbles makes me wish time travel was real. If I could go back in time to see one Rumble final that I missed it would be 1996. Trona and Quintaine Americana? Are you kidding me? So good.
  17. I need to see Parks live. I’m in love with their first two singles, but I haven’t been able to catch a show yet. This all changes next Saturday night.
  18. What about heavy music? Motherboar made it all the way to the finals last year with some brutally amazing sets. Sherman Burns tore their way into the semis as a wildcard. Jack Burton vs. David Lo Pan, Whitcomb and Supermachine are likely hoping for similar success.
    19. This.
    This.
  19. The time between the last band finishing their set and the night’s winner being announced is gloriously awkward.
  20. The Rumble is never boring. The American Measles wore Kiss makeup. Cracktorch could jump really high. Keith Pierce finished Mellow Bravo’s preliminary round set on top of a car in front of TT’s.***** What’s next?
  21. For the bands, The Rumble is a great way to get in front of people who may not have any idea who you are and win them over. Rumble crowds are good like that. I’ve seen The Field Effect take on some pretty diverse audiences in the past six months. Their enthusiasm is undeniable. Win or lose, The Field Effect is going to walk away with a boatload of new fans.
    22. The Field Effect will undoubtedly win over the crowd, but what about the judges?
    The Field Effect will win some new fans, but will they win their night?
  22. I’ve seen a lot of Rumble shows over the years, but last year was the first time I was able to attend every night. It was a blast. I can’t wait to do it again.
  23. Have I mentioned that The Okay Win, Cancer Killing Gemini, The New Highway Hymnal, Velah, Endation, The Deep North, Herra Terra, Camden, Eddie Japan, Supermachine, Glenn Yoder & The Western States, Blackbutton, Mount Peru, Whitcomb, Lifestyle, Twin Berlin, Coyote Kolb, The Field Effect, The Suicide Dolls, White Dynomite, Parks, Jack Burton vs. David Lo Pan, Ruby Rose Fox and The Daily Pravda are playing? That should be reason enough.
  24. Rumbles are unpredictable. There will be “upsets.” Bands will be “robbed.” Allegations will fly. Someone might get glitter bombed. Life will go on. A good time will be had by most. Friendships will be made. Future shows will be set up. Somone will leave with a tiara on. We’ll all have a good laugh about it in the morning.

Is it Sunday yet?

* Well, nine fell swoops, I guess.

** Personal experience tells me at least 15 years.

*** Oops. That list reversal attribute in an HTML5 tag. some of you may be seeing this 1-24. Isn’t technology fun?

**** Technically not the first time I saw them, but that’s a story for another time.

**** I missed this show. Sad face. Thankfully there’s this video.

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Cask Mouse @ Radio 10.19.2012

I saw many of my favorite bands over the course of three nights at Radio during Bands For Babs and the club’s first anniversary show. It started me wondering which of my favorites I hadn’t seen in October. Then I noticed Cask Mouse on a bill the following weekend. Back to Radio I went…

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Cask Mouse – “Vultures Live @ Tupelo Music Hall in White River Junction, VT” (2012)


Cask Mouse
“Vultures Live @ Tupelo Music Hall in White River Junction, VT”
2012

As much as I love Cambridge Sessions, Cask Mouse will always be a live band to me. Every time I see them I walk away impressed. They have the enthusiasm of a young band and the ability to play off of each other like seasoned veterans. Now they’ve got a live track to prove it. “Vultures” was recorded during one of their performances in Vermont. The track is a barn burner. The performance is exhilarating. It makes me wish I was there. That’s the true test of a live recording.

Where to get it:

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Cask Mouse – Cambridge Sessions (2011)


Cask Mouse
Cambridge Sessions
2011

So no no don’t you worry
Someday I’ll settle down
But this fire in my belly
Is burning hot right now

Cask Mouse profess their wanderlust on “Astronaut,” the opening track of 2011’s Cambridge Sessions. It’s a feeling that will pop up again and again throughout the EP. This is a stomp-and-clap-along number filled with hope. It sucks me in. The drawl. The hook. The positivity. Cask Mouse are masters of emotional manipulation.

All of that optimism quickly turns into sentimentality. “Brick On Brick” is a slow, reflective number featuring some of the gorgeous vocal harmonies that have become one of Cask Mouse’s trademarks. Everyone in the band can sing with conviction. Bonnie Parks takes her turn on “Time To Breathe.” It’s a devastating number that revisits the theme of locational restlessness.

The places I’ll go
The things that I’ll see
Never really mattered that much to me
I’m leaving home
I won’t come back
I won’t come back
I won’t come back

That songs gets me every time. It’s brutal. I crash. “Smokin'” is the big hangover. This ode to hard living settles in with the slow burn of resignation before kicking up some dust. Cambridge Sessions closes with “Radio,” which pleads Cask Mouse’s case for displacement one last time.

Baby, turn off the radio
The sun is coming up
And I feel I have to go

Where to get it:

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Cask Mouse @ T.T. The Bear’s Place 6.15.2012

I love Cask Mouse. I love their songs. I love their vocal arrangements. I love their attitude, energy and charisma. Most of all I love their enthusiasm. Their love for what they do makes it easy to get behind them. It doesn’t take long for the TT’s crowd to do just that.

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Random Rumble Ramblings (Part III)

This crew is making the whole thing run smoothly.

We’ve nearly reached the end of the road with the 2012 Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble. After 31 sets from 23 bands, we’ve got it narrowed down to the final three contenders. Garvy J. And The Secret Pockets Of Hope And Resistance, Bow Thayer And Perfect Trainwreck and Motherboar (wildcard) will play for all the marbles tonight at TT’s. Before you head out, here are a couple of things that have tickled my brain about the Semifinal round.

Bo & Co. know how it goes.

Are You Experienced?

The Semifinal victors know a thing or two about winning over crowds in Boston. Garvy J. And The Secret Pocket Of Hope And Resistance and Bow Thayer And Perfect Trainwreck are both fronted by scene veterans and have top notch players on every instrument. That’s not to say they go about things the same way. Bow and Co. take a more traditional approach, twanging it up with the best of them. Any one of these guys is capable of stealing the show. Together, they’ve formed an outstanding Americana ensemble. The Resistance, on the other hand, has you wondering where the synth players are. Before long, you realize all three guitar players are masters at manipulating their instruments. Having the amazing rhythm section of Scott Fitts and Tommy Lada gives you that kind of freedom.

Lada wins!

Lada Vs. Lada Revisted

Speaking of Tommy Lada, the battle of Lada Vs. Lada was won by Tommy Lada. I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t a small part of me that wanted to see Ghosts Of Jupiter take the wildcard just to see this happen again. It certainly wouldn’t have surprised anyone, as Ghosts Of Jupiter threw down another definitive slab of ’70s classic rock on their Semifinal night.

And then he does this to the crowd.

The State Of Heavy Revisted

In my last Rumble ramble I talked about wanting to see how the two heaviest bands in the festival competition fared in the Semifinals. Well, Motherboar fought their way into the wildcard spot through a shower of beer and metal mayhem. Sherman Burns continued to win over a slew of fans after another rifftacular performance. I love it.

Not just keys, but kazoo and vocals, too!

Fun With Numbers

  • Five keys to success: 5 of the Rumble semifinalists included keyboard based instruments (Thick Shakes, The Rationales, Cask Mouse, Ghost Of Jupiter and Bow Thayer and Perfect Trainwreck).
  • A dozen golden throats: 12 different people sang lead on a song during the Semifinals.
  • Tie One On: There was 1 solitary tie worn in the Semifinal round. It was donned by Tim Scholl of Thick Shakes.

Play Me Out

Once again, I’ll leave you with the songs that haven’t left me. Have a listen and then hit up the Finals tonight at TT’s!