Sorry for the hiatus. Got a cool new gig that’s got me on brain overload just soaking up tons of info. That, and a bit writers block combined with a healthy dose of reinvention vapor lock has thrown a wrench into the works.

So, back to blogging with a short post. Gotta give big kudos to the hardest working man in blog-biz. Ryan at Ryan’s Smashing Life put on another (his third) great showcase Tuesday night at the lillypad.

It opened up with the stellar vocals and finger picking of Tom Thumb. He was followed by a rare acoustic gig from Eldridge Rodriguez, who braved the wrath of his bride-to-be to play the show just a few days before his wedding.

The final performance of the night was my personal favorite, Annie Lynch & the Beekeepers. They have a style that you could describe as alt-country or alt-folk. They’re a wonderful combination of acoustic guitar, stand-up bass, cello and a rotation of mandolin, accordion, banjo and saw….yes the saw. Annie’s vocals are gorgeous and they have great harmonies.

Check out the Ryan’s post to download samples from each artist.

The Editors were very close to putting on the best show that I’ve seen all year at The Paradise back on September 6. However, Of Montreal put on a totally sick performance back on October 12 at The Roxy nudging them out of my top spot. I’ll leave that show for discussion another time, because I’m way overdue posting a couple things about that Editors show.

Leaving The Paradise back in September, all I could come up with was a one sentence review. “They were fucking amazing.” That would have been a perfectly cromulent review. Seriously, those guys hit on all cylinders and the only negative thing I had to say is that I think their light show was meant to be used in a place the size of The Orpheum. I think I left half blind, but with a tan.

The next time they are back in town, do not miss the chance to see them.

Editors - Munich

Seeing the Editors, reminded me of another of my all-time favorite shows. It was a brilliant and oddly named band who played at the dingy and oddly named, Club Baby Head, in Providence. If you like the Editors and you’ve never heard of Kitchens of Distinction, you are in for a treat. Man, the swirling guitar and trebbly bass. There were moments at that Editors show when I swear I was back in Providence…probably in one of those times when I was stunned after being blasted in the face with one of their million watt lights.

Kitchens of Distinction formed in 86′ and broke up in 96′. Patrick Fitzgerald, the singer/bass player is still around and you can check him out here. I saw them on the tour for Strange Free World, that you can still get on Amazon for under five bucks. I’ll let you judge for yourself, but although the Editors have more edge and KOD have more Echo & the Bunnymen to them, I think you’ll find a distinct similarity and really dig it.

Editors

MySpace - Tracks, Tour Dates & More

An End Has A Start

Kitchens of Distinction

MySpace - Tracks and Videos

MP3 Railwayed

MP3 Quick as Rainbows

This past Monday night was the Winterpills show, Upstairs at The Middle East that I’d been looking forward to for a few weeks. Its just great when you discover a new band and get to catch them live so soon. It was a pleasure. I also got a chance to chat with most of the folks in the band at the show and it was great talking with them. I’ll plan to catch up again to talk music and the Northampton scene.

Photo Credit Henning Ohlenbusch

On to the show, its always tough for the first band on a Monday night bill, but they came out tight, right out of the gate. It was a simply great performance. The vocals were as beautiful as advertised and all the different parts weaved together perfectly. The space started filling up pretty quickly and they got a great reception from everyone there.

Winterpills played a great variety of songs from both albums including Lay Your Heartbreak, Handkerchiefs, Cranky and one of my personal favs from the first CD, Pills for Sara. Its one of those songs that builds and builds and that was even more effective live.

If you couldn’t tell, the show on November 2 at Great Scott highly recommended. Hope to see you there.

Winterpills

MySpace - Tracks, Tour Dates & More

Pills for Sara

Interview on NPR from December 05′

I’ve been under the weather for a few days here, so hopefully I’ll be catching up in the next day or so.

Jose Gonzalez put on an amazing show at The Paradise this past Sunday night in support of his new album In Our Nature. This is another great CD, although I’d stay away from the videos unless you have a thing for pig men with large growths on their heads. Just a warning.

The show was a great mix songs both new and old. Jose Gonzalez in an amazing artist. His live performance was technically and aesthetically perfect. Live, he loses nothing from the recordings, while adding possibly even more warmth. He plays seated the whole time, but he couldn’t have been more engaging if he had been jumping around grabbing people.

I find one of the things that can be tough about a seeing a “quiet” artist’s show, especially in a standing venue, is the tendency that people have to start talking. Now, I have been guilty of this more than once in the past. I’m not throwing stones here. It happens.

Thing is, the audience was so mesmerized by him, there was as close to dead silence in the room as I have ever heard at any show. It made for a stunning contrast when his songs would come to an end and you got a brief taste of that quiet before the thunderous applause.

A simply spectacular show and a highly recommended CD.

Jose Gonzalez

MySpace - Tracks, Tour Dates & More

Down the Line

NPR Interview & Live Recording

Last night’s Revenge of the Book Eaters show at the Berklee Performance Center easily lived up to my expectations. You had short 20-30 minuute sets from Via Audio, Mates of State and Kevin Barnes and Bryan Poole from Of Montreal who did an awesome acoustic set.

The bands were mixed in with some comedy and some presentations by and about 826 and the obligatory fund raising that goes along with these kinds of things. (I must say that Davy Rothbart, the creator of Found Magazine is a funny bastard and his brother is a pretty good singer) This was all to benefit 826 Boston, which is dedicated to helping inner city kids to be great writers through many different programs.

I’ll start by saying that I was so excited to go to this show because I’ve never seen any of these acts play live before. I’ll be seeing all of them in October, but I just couldn’t wait. Of Montreal will be at The Roxy October 12 and Mates of State and Via Audio will be playing at the MFA on October 25. After tonight’s warm up for my ears, I’m even more psyched.

Via Audio, who actually formed while at Berklee, opened things up with a solid performance. Jessica Martins even gave the shout out “I used to live upstairs here!!” My favorite song was “We Can Be Good”. It had passion and energy, getting the night off to a great start. Their new CD “Say Something” just came out yesterday and my half-baked review listening to it on the way home, a very solid album. Very happy with the pick up.

The next musical act was Mates of State. I was really interested in hearing how their music translates live. The studio versions have a lot of overdubs on the vocals and many acts can’t make that work live. They did. Kori Gardner’s voice is simply so powerful that when combined with the harmonies from Jason Hammell, there is no need for any overdubs. I love how full a sound they create with just piano and drums.

Mates of State

As good as the other folks, the guys from Of Montreal were the highlight of the night. First, they played acoustically the way I love to hear it, miked guitars, not pickups. Great work by the sound guy. There was no feedback, which is what usually makes that go bad.

They started with an unnamed new song, then Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse, another new song that Kevin described as being sung by a girl from Wyoming, followed by Suffer for Fashion and finally a great cover of Ever Fallen In Love, by the Buzzcocks. Simply fantastic.

Kevin Barnes voice is so strong and expressive and just knocks your socks off. The subtle harmonies between him and Bryan Poole were superb. Its great to have a chance to hear them in such a quiet setting without the full band.

I have to say last night was a perfect preview for two great shows next month!

Via Audio

MySpace Tracks, Tour Dates & More

MP3 We Can Be Good

Via Audio on MOKB Radio - Check out the live tracks!

Mates of State

MySpace Tracks, Tour Dates & More

MP3 Like You Crazy

Of Montreal

MySpace Tracks, Tour Dates & More

MP3 Ever Fallen In Love - The Buzzcocks

Jamie T put on a raw energetic show last week at Great Scott. He performed many of the tracks off of Panic Prevention as well as a few I hadn’t heard before. It was fantastic.

His live performance was a bit faster and a good deal heavier than the recorded songs. You also get much more of the ska influence in the live interpretation than the studio versions. I think it works really well, especially in a small venue like Great Scott.

The odd and amusing thing about the whole show is that it seemed like whenever I’d look away from the stage for a minute, he’d be gone when I looked back. I could hear him, but I had no idea where he was. I think he did most of the first song from the audience, but I could be wrong.

Totally intrigued about what kind of Harry Houdini act he had going on, I worked my way to the front. Turns out he would just crouch from time to time. I couldn’t tell you why, but there were a number of enthusiastic young ladies up front. I simply report the facts, I draw no conclusions.

Lastly, at the end of the show, they hand out mix tapes. Actual cassette mix tapes that they threw together from a whole variety of musical styles. Although the only place I can listen to it is my old dependable beat up car, its fantastic. I got vol. 4, which it says I can get the track list from his site, but its not there yet.

If I wouldn’t have to sit in my car for an hour I’d tell you a lot of what’s on there, I would, but you’ve got rap, ska, blues, hard core and a whole variety of strange. Makes for a fun car ride.

Jamie T

MySpace - Tracks, Tour Dates& More

Sheila

Upstairs, Downstairs or The Corner. If you were at The Middle East this past Friday the 17th, you got a great show. I know nights like that don’t come around very often and I was very pleased and spoiled to be there.

I’ll admit, that apart from Bishop Allen, I only saw a few songs from each of the other acts. But, I had to drag myself away from Foreign Islands and was sorely disappointed to only catch three or four songs from Benzos and The Two Timin’ Four. If I could have been three places at the same time, I would have.

The night started off Upstairs at The Middle East with Unstoppable Black Clouds who were pretty good. Bishop Allen was supposed to go on around 11:45 so I stayed to catch as much of the Foreign Islands set as I could. I wasn’t sure what I was going to hear since the singer Matt Ryan looked like a young Elvis Costello in a hoodie.

As soon as they kicked things off, I knew this would be painful. They have these great funk/dance drum beats with heavy distorted guitars and a sorta DJ, rapping. sing-song vocal thing. They’ve got great rhythms going on with every instrument and the vocals. It was like crack. I kept looking at my watch to see if could hold off leaving for the Downstairs for one more song. I will see their whole show the next time they’re in town and I’ll be getting their CD Restart Now!

I made it to Downstairs at The Middle East just as Bishop Allen was going on. I really like their album, but these folks are a LIVE band. They did something I’ve been looking forward to hearing for a while. They played their songs differently live. Not totally different, but it was definitely not like simply listening to a louder, cooler version of the CD.

I really dug the faster and heavier version of Rain and they did a fantastic job with The Monitor and Corazon. They also hit my one classic rock soft spot closing the show out with “Have You Ever Seen the Rain” by CCR. I will see them next time they’re in town.

As soon as they finished up, I went back upstairs to catch Benzos. A buddy of mine, with very discriminating musical taste, was kind enough to let me know that Foreign Islands only got better after I left. (Argh!)

The Benzos do a very cool atmospheric alt rock thing. They do some great stuff with the bass and they mix of the beats between the drums and blended drum machine. I dug these guys and I’m interested in seeing the full set when they come back.

When the Benzos finished up, I decided not to wrestle with the ridiculous crowd at the Upstairs front-room bar and headed over to The Corner. As I’m walking over I hear some amazing rockabilly. I head into The Corner and TheTwo Timin’ Four is blowing it out. I was stunned. Another great band. These guys were very tight and had great vocals to complete the package.

I figured at this rate I was going to come home to find a jam band ripping it up in my living room. Sadly, that was not the case, but it was a full night of spectacular music.