The Susan Constant were one of my favorite surprises of the 2012 Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble. I knew nothing of the band going into the night, but their passionate set won me over instantly. Their new EP, Shapes, is equally fan-inducing. Somehow, the band has managed to capture the spark of their live performance on these six well-crafted indie rock gems. These are the kinds of songs that get packed clubs hopping or swaying in unison.* “Locked Up” and “One Good Reason” have hit single written all over them.** The rest of the release is just as solid. Songs like “Tennessee,” “Like A Ghost” and “Draw Us All” show off how a band can vary their songwriting while cultivating a well-defined sound. It all leads up to “Midwestern You,” a song that opens with a U2-esque intro before riding out on a wave of synth pads and almost horn-like guitar melodies. That’s a pretty nice way to close out Shapes.
Angelle Wood loves her job. She's also really good at it.
After a much needed day of rest, the Rumble returns with Preliminary Night #4 (Cask Mouse, Never Got Caught, Parlour Bells and The Fagettes) tonight at TT’s. Before I head out, here are a few thought on the first half of the week…
Old Favorites
Thick Shakes shook TT's.
It was great to see strong showings from some old favorites in the 2012 edition of the Rumble. The Rationales and Garvy J. took their nights, so I’ll be catching them again next week. Thick Shakes put on a raucous show to kick off their night. Cooling Towers did the same to close out theirs.
New Faces
The Tin Thistles quenched my thirst for new music. Please say I didn't just write that caption.
One of the best things about The Rumble is being able to check out bands you haven’t see before. I’ve managed to catch 5 new bands so far. Ghosts Of Jupiter took Preliminary Night #3 and left me eager to check them out again next week. The Susan Constant was fantastic. I know they made some new fans on their night. The Tin Thistles brought with them the same devil-may-care attitude Mellow Bravo had last year. In the end, it’s just a big party, right? I also got my first exposure to Letterday and Grey Valley Ghosts. The biggest disappointment of this year’s event was not being able to catch The Grownup Noise. I’ve heard great things about them, but Paul Hansen slipped a disc in his back and they had to withdraw from the competition. Get well soon, Paul!
Lada Vs. Lada
Tommy Lada will compete against himself on Friday the 13th.
This is my favorite story of this year’s Rumble. With Garvy J. and Ghosts Of Jupiter advancing to the semi-final round, Tommy Lada will be competing against himself on Friday the 13th. How much fun is that going to be to watch?
Fun With Numbers
Endless Wave was the only trio in the first three nights of The Rumble.
The third time’s the charm: All of the winners so far have come slot #3.*
Strength in numbers: All of the winners have had 5 members. In fact, 7 of the 11 bands that have performed so far have been 5 piece bands. There was one trio, Endless Wave, and a trio of 4 piece acts.
Two for one: 2 bands had covers in their sets.** 2 bands have had 3 guitars.*** Only Letterday had both.
Play Me Out
Animal Talk’s “Into The Sun” is just too damn catchy. That song, and a few of the other songs that have been stuck in my head after these first few Rumble nights, are below. Check them out, and then come out for the rest of the action. Here’s the schedule. Get thee to TT’s!
* The Rationales were scheduled for the third slot, but moved to the second when The Grownup Noise had to cancel. I’m still going to allow this little “fact” to stand.
** Letterday covered “Holiday” by The Get Up Kids. The Tin Thistles busted out The Misfits’ “Skulls”. Garvy J. had musical references to other songs, but no true covers.
Night #3 of the 2012 Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble was the only night where I hadn’t seen any of the bands before. The Rumble is a great way to check out new bands. This night would be very fruitful.
The Susan Constant opened the proceedings with a long slow build of a number. It certainly caught my attention. Before long the band was banging out some pretty great indie rock tunes. A friend (who also happens to have won Preliminary Night #1) comments that The Susan Constant walk a line between The Jayhawks and Death Cab For Cutie. It’s an unusual combination – not one I would have thought of – but I get where he’s coming from. It’s a great sound. My friend walked away a big fan. I did too.
Well, it’s that time of the year again. The Rumble is upon us. Sunday night will kick off the 2012 edition of this rock n’ roll institution. I called the 2011 version “a crash course in Boston awesomeness”. I have no reason to think this year won’t be the same. Having been to many a Rumble show (and participated in a couple) I can tell you these are always a lot of fun.
For the past few years The Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble has been curated by Anngelle Wood. She’s done a fine job, hasn’t she? This year will be no exception. I’ve managed to document exactly half of this year’s participants in the wild. I look forward to checking out the other half. Below is the complete schedule with some links to the bands’ shows I’ve caught in the past. If all goes according to plan, you’ll be seeing lots of Rumble pics up on Daykamp Music over the next few weeks. Check back often. More importantly, go see some of the shows!
PRELIMINARY SCHEDULE
Sunday, April 1
7:30-8:30pm Boston Band Crush sponsored Opening Night Welcoming Party
