Tag: Eric Salt & The Electric City

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We are proud to premiere Eric Salt & The Electric City’s excellent “Excellent” video!

We here at Daykamp Headquarters are super excited to share the new video from musical chameleons Eric Salt & The Electric City with you. It’s called “Excellent” and it is excellent. Of course, we expected nothing less from some of our favorite folks in town. The song finds Eric and the gang shifting musical gears at the drop of a dime. The colorful video directed by Daniel Jacobs is a visual love letter to all things Boston music. Watch for shoutouts to Q Division, John Powhida, Will Dailey, Hot Stove Cool Music, Tim Gearan, Daykamp Creative and a whole bunch of other people and events that make this town special. And hot air balloons. Lots of pretty hot air balloons. It’s impossible not to be happy when you are watching hot air balloons and listening to Eric Salt & The Electric City.

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Eric Salt & The Electric City – Please Say Yes (2013)

eric salt electric city please say yes
Eric Salt & The Electric City
Please Say Yes
2013

Eric Salt is one talented guy. 2007’s The Hail Mary hooked me with its depth and breadth of songwriting. His playing with Jenny Dee And The Deelinquents is always inspired. Plus, he can cover Springsteen like nobody’s business. He’s equally at home with his own material or someone else’s. Please Say Yes adds to this impressive body of work. Here we find Eric Salt & The Electric City getting back to their naturally varied ways. Their cover of Dylan’s “Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here With You” is gorgeous. “Women I’ve Loved” is a toe-tapper. “Movie Screen” finds beauty in simplicity. Horns help shape “Last Man Standing” and “Cold Winds Blow.” The band’s cover of Billy Squier’s “Whadda You Want From Me” turns a rocker into a slow burn.* Saving one of the best for last, the record closes with the endearing title track. Play it again. Please Say Yes gets better with every listen.

Where to get it:

* Given the album title and artwork, you had to see that one coming.

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Eric Salt & The Electric City @ Moe’s Lounge 10.11.2012

I was really anxious on October 11th, the first day of the Bands For Babs benefit. Having “Never Intended” by Eric Salt & The Electric City stuck in my head all day helped to calm me down. After being upstairs at Radio for The Modifiers and AM Stereo, I bopped down to Moe’s Lounge to catch as much of Eric Salt and his band as I could. Just as I walked into the wood-paneled sanctuary, The Electric City kicked into “Never Intended” and everything was right in the world.

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Being for the Benefit of Barbara Walsh!

This is tough to write…

I’m going to get right to it. On July 3rd, our dear friend Barbara “Babs” Walsh suffered an AVM/stroke. She went into a coma. The news was brutal. Babs is one of my favorite people in the entire world. Anyone who knows Barbara understands what a big supporter she is of the Boston music scene. Any band that has endured her brutal honesty is better for it.* Even moving to L.A. several months ago didn’t slow her down. She had already been back this way a couple of times, attending shows and catching up with all of us who miss her. Suddenly, she was fighting for her life. Devastating.

This is easy to write…

You know what? Babs is a tough cookie. Her recovery, thus far, has been tremendous. Now we’re putting on a show with a bunch of her friends to help with the financial side of things. What kind of show? How about a two night blowout at Radio! Bands For Babs! Upstairs! Downstairs! Rock! Punk! Metal! Reunions! We’ve got it all in store for you. The show details and Facebook events are listed below. We hope you can make it out to our good ol’ fashioned rock ‘n’ roll extravaganza and help get Babs get back on her feet.

There’s also a website for donations: Funds For Babs

Both shows are at Radio.
Early shows! 8pm start time!
Presented by Boston Band Crush and Daykamp Music.
Poster by Daykamp Creative.

Night #1
Facebook event

Upstairs:
12a Rule
11p Jenny Dee & The Deelinquents
10p The Decals
9p AM Stereo
8p The Modifiers

Downstairs:
11:30p The Charms
10:30p Dave Mirabella
9:30p Eric Salt & The Electric City

Night #2
Facebook event

Upstairs:
12a The Dents
11p Devil On Horseback
10p Watts
9p Gymnasium
8p Spin-Off!

Downstairs:
11:30p The Dirty Truckers
10:30p Reverse
9:30p Dirt Mall

* Barbara has been particulary vocal about her distaste for the Dirt Mall song “The Demons & The Damned.” It’s already a long song, but I’m thinking we may bust out an extended version for this occasion. Just for you, Babs!

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Eric Salt & The Electric City – The Hail Mary (2007)


Eric Salt & The Electric City
The Hail Mary
2007

Two minutes and forty seconds into “Open Doorway” from Eric Salt & The Electric City’s album, The Hail Mary, the listener is submerged in a sea of cascading vocal harmonies. It’s the culmination of a three song opening sequence that is thoroughly engaging. “Stand In The Light” kicks things off with its syncopated guitars and snarling vocals while “Pearls” oscillates between the vibrant and ominous. By the time of the final snare hit of “Open Doorway”, it’s hard to imagine any other way Eric and company could have unveiled The Hail Mary.

The record sheds some of its drama with the fourth track, “Never Intended”, complete with Billy Preston-esque electric piano flourishes and light-hearted backing vocals. “Beatle Chord” doesn’t hide its Abbey Road influence in title or style. Throughout the 12 song CD there are hints of Wilco, Elvis Costello, and the occasional guitar line or vocal melody that wouldn’t sound out of place in a Paul Westerberg penned tune. The earnestness of the record would be burdensome if it wasn’t so damn honest.

There’s a high level of musicianship on The Hail Mary. Eric and his crew know when to play fast and loose and when to show some restraint. Vocals go from breathy to biting without ever sounding forced. Denis Saulnier’s drums are clockwork steady yet never lack feel. Layers of guitars all seem to know their place. Nuanced mixes from Ed Valauskas and Rafi Sofer (and Eric himself on “Long Livin’ Life”) tie it all together. The Hail Mary has all of the expected polish and sheen of an album produced by Ed at Q Division.

Where to get it:

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Eric Salt & The Electric City @ T.T. The Bear’s Place 11.18.2011

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Eric Salt & The Electric City. Eric recently performed at the Bruce Springsteen tribute night with some of these guys, and it reminded me how well they play off each other. Tonight’s return of the full-on Electric City puts the band’s own songs in the well deserved spotlight. I’ve missed this.