13 Things About 24 Bands – OR – The 2014 Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble Starts Sunday Night

The 2014 Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble starts Sunday night. Here are 13 things about the 24 bands playing this year’s shindig…

  1. Airport, Slowdim, Butterknife and Sinnet are all in The Rumble. That means you can catch four of the bands writing the best songs in the city at TT’s next week. Sinnet plays Sunday, Airport on Tuesday. Butterknife and Slowdim go head to head on Thursday. We’re a lucky bunch.
  2. I’ve seen Doom Lover twice, both times without Nikki Dessingue. I still haven’t had the full Doom Lover experience. I’m sure this is my loss. The Rumble will see this remedied on Monday night.
  3. 10301764444_b6512ab2b5_b

  4. Riffs, riffs, riffs. I gotta have riffs. Color me excited to hear what Summoner and Yellabird are laying down. Summoner is up Friday. Yellabird is the last band of the whole Rumble on Saturday.
  5. Harmonies, harmonies, harmonies. Goddamn Draculas (Monday) and Airport have some of the best I’ve ever heard.
  6. Z*L(Tuesday) and Petty Morals(Friday) are two bands I’ve been dying to see. I really dig what the folks in these band have done in the past. I’m excited to (finally) see what they’re doing now.
  7. The Color And Sound played one of the most energetic sets I’ve ever seen. They’re going to impress a lot of people on Saturday.
  8. What will Gondoliers do on Thursday night? Seriously, what are they gonna do? You never know with these guys. They’re masters. Definitely one of my most anticipated Rumble sets.
  9. 13254764443_593729d40a_b

  10. It seems like there’s been a big surge of prog-influenced rock in this town. Emma Ate The Lion will be repping the movement on Monday night.
  11. Getting through the early part of Rumble prelims week can be tough. With three bands-I’ve-never-seen-much-to-the-dismay-of-friends-who-have-seen-them in the first two nights, I think I’ll make it through okay. Tigerman Woah and Guillermo Sexo are on Sunday. When Particles Collide follow on Monday.
  12. Rebuilder is the pop-punkiest pop punk band to play The Rumble in a while. They’ll get the whole thing started on Sunday night.
  13. I always enjoy seeing a band for the second time (for an explanation, see reason #18 here). In addition to the previously mentioned Sinnet and The Color And Sound, I’ll be catching second sets from Feints(Friday), Vary Lumar(Friday) and Await Rescue(Saturday).
  14. 11040933843_244058e323_b

  15. Between The Life Electric(Tuesday), Barricades(Tuesday) and Western Education(Thursday) there’s a pretty impressive variety of highly polished modern indie rock on tap for this year’s Rumble.
  16. Harris Hawk will be kicking off the final night of the Rumble prelims, thus ensuring that any Rumble hangover from nights 1-5 will be quickly smashed to bits. Pay attention Saturday night. They don’t mess around.

That’s all I’ve got. The full 2014 Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble schedule can be found here. Maybe you should go to one or all of the shows.

The 2014 Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble Preliminary Round lineups are set!

Who will advance in the 2014 Rock 'N' Roll Rumble?
Who will advance in the 2014 Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble? Go ahead, guess…

OK, here we go. This is where it gets real. We already knew the bands participating in the 35th edition of the Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble. Now the preliminary round schedule is set. Now we’re reminded why The Rumble is so special. Now we get to see the types of bills you just don’t see every day. Now we get to pretend to know who the favorite is to win each night, only to realize such a task is but a fun and foolish game. Ready?

2014 ROCK ‘N’ ROLL RUMBLE PRELIMINARY SCHEDULE

Sunday April 6th, 2014 (FB Event)

9:00 – Rebuilder (Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp)
9:45 – Tigerman Woah (Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp)
10:30 – Sinnet (Web | Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp)
11:15 – Guillermo Sexo (Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp)

Monday April 7th, 2014 (FB Event)

9:00 – Doom Lover (Web | Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp)
9:45 – When Particles Collide (Web | Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp)
10:30 – 
Goddamn Draculas (Web | Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp)
11:15 – Emma Ate The Lion (Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp)

Tuesday April 8th, 2014 (FB Event)

9:00 – Barricades (Web | Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp)
9:45 – Airport (Facebook | Bandcamp)
10:30 – Z*L (Facebook | Bandcamp)
11:15 – The Life Electric (Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp)

Thursday April 10th, 2014 (FB Event)

9:30 – Butterknife (Web | Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp)
10:15 – Slowdim (Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp)
11:00 – Gondoliers (Facebook | Bandcamp)
11:45 – Western Education (Web | Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp)

Friday April 11th, 2014 (FB Event)

9:30 – Feints (Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp)
10:15 – Petty Morals (Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp)
11:00 – Summoner (Facebook | Bandcamp)
11:45 – Vary Lumar (Web | Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp)

Saturday April 12th, 2014 (FB Event)

9:30 – Harris Hawk (Facebook | Bandcamp)
10:15 – Await Rescue (Web | Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp)
11:00 – The Color And Sound (Web | Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp)
11:45 – Yellabird (Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp)

More info: Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble Website

Meet the Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble Class of 2014

This again? You betcha!
This again? You betcha!

Thirteen is a lucky number, right? I hope so. You see, it’s Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble season again. Last night on Boston Emissions, Anngelle Wood announced the 24 participants in this year’s competition event. For the first time since I can remember (probably ever), I actually managed to catch live shows from more than half of the bands vying for the tiara. Thirteen of ’em. I don’t know if more excited because I know these acts can deliver the goods or that there are still 11 bands that I get to check out for the first time. At their best. In The Rumble. Awesome.

Oh, did I mention that it’s the 35th edition of this storied franchise? Well, it is. That’s pretty amazing.

The nine night pass is still available (for now). The individual show lineups will be announced Sunday night on Boston Emissions. In the meantime, here are some handy links to get you ready for the 35th installment of the Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble…

Airport
(Facebook | Bandcamp)

Await Rescue
(Web | Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp)

Barricades
(Web | Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp)

Butterknife
(Web | Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp)

The Color And Sound
(Web | Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp)

Doom Lover
(Web | Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp)

Emma Ate The Lion
(Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp)

Feints
(Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp)

Goddamn Draculas
(Web | Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp)

Gondoliers
(Facebook | Bandcamp)

Guillermo Sexo
(Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp)

Harris Hawk
(Facebook | Bandcamp)

The Life Electric
(Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp)

Petty Morals
(Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp)

Rebuilder
(Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp)

Sinnet
(Web | Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp)

Slowdim
(Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp)

Summoner
(Facebook | Bandcamp)

Tigerman Woah
(Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp)

Vary Lumar
(Web | Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp)

Western Education
(Web | Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp)

When Particles Collide
(Web | Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp)

Yellabird
(Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp)

Z*L
(Facebook | Bandcamp)

More info: Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble Website

Get ready...
Get ready…

Doom Lover @ Precinct 3.22.2013

On a night when a lot of things were out of the ordinary, Doom Lover pulled off something extraordinary. While Jeffrey Vachon sang his heart out, two of his bandmates performed a shadow puppet show that demonstrated the kind of heart this band has. I’ve never seen anything like it in a rock club. I won’t soon forget it.

Oh, Doom Lover can rip it up pretty good, too…