(yes, that's Carmen from Bodega Girls in the video!)
PLAYING OUR SHOW - The six-piece experimental synth-pop and indie dance rock act Gentlemen Hall are from Boston. They met at Berklee college and perfected their sound the last their years. Their unique sound has people listening and it's afforded them some pretty amazing opportunities. (Everyone loves working with a winner.) Take the new video, above, from Director Ethan Goldhammer. This is their newest, but far from their only such clip. They won a MTV Video Music Award for “Best Breakout Boston Artist” and last year became the first ever independent act to be featured live on the Billboard Music Awards - television internationally on primetime on ABC. A whole lot of people have seen this band play.
So obvious, the next step for the band: Jacob Michael (guitar/vocals), Gavin McDevitt (guitar/vocals), Bradford Alderman (synths), Rory Given (bass), Philip Boucher (drums), and Seth Hachen (flute), was to make new music... The EP features top A-list producers and mixers, including Michael Seifert (Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Faith No More's Chuck Mosley), Dan Shea (Santana, Mariah Carey, Jennifer Lopez, Lady Antebellum) and Grammy winner Tony Maserati (Jason Mraz, Fergie, John Legend, and Lady Gaga). Here it is...
THE OUTLAW ROADSHOW - Our first ever show with Gentlemen Hall came last fall, prior to them entering the national band contest winning them the right to play the Billboard Music Awards show in Las Vegas. Our second show with Gentlemen Hall came in July, and that RSL event sold out in less than 48 hours. Yup. Now it's time for this CMJ Spotlight Band will shine for audiences at The Outlaw Roadshow. Friday, Oct 21 from noon to 6pm in New York City. It's a free show. And there's six other bands, a total of seven, from cities across America. And free pizza. Limited to legal club capacity.
ASTONISHING - I helped set this thing up and I still can't believe we get to work with one of America's strongest, most talented new sounds again! Yes, just eight months after Portland's Kasey Anderson and the Honkies graced our SxSW stage atSmoke & Sand in Austin, we have arranged for them to come to New York to play The Outlaw Roadshow. This unbelievable talent just finished a run of live shows with Counting Crows on the west coast and have released one of my very favorite albums of the year, "Heart of a Dog." Which I can guarantee you will be at, or near, the very top of our annual best of list.
Kasey Anderson and the boys aren't one a one trick pony, either. While the new stuff they are doing is easily the best they've produced, Kasey's previous effort, "Nowhere Nights," made our annual best-of list in 2010. So hey, all I can say is we were damn lucky to get in on this act early. Come and see what all the fuss is about - the show is free. You don't want to miss it!
THEY ARE CONFIRMED! - Once brandishing their youth like an imperial flag, the members of Chicago's Filligar are still growing into their rockstar personas but clearly, they're kids no more. Having seen them play live numerous times now, their sets have always proven to be wild, energy-laden affairs, full of jams. Crowds have so much fun at these shows! It's for these reasons and a few more that we invited them to play our stage in Austin, TX for SxSW this year at Smoke & Sand [showcase <> photos] attended by 2K people by day's end. Now, we close the loop by inviting them to our festival week stage in New York for The Outlaw Roadshow. Come see them play for free!
A METEORIC RISE... A series of seemingly never ending showcases coast-to-coast has resulted in a nearly impossible feat in this day and age: Filligar has a loyal, "local" following in markets all over the country. Their latest effort, The Nerve was a huge leap forward in songwriting and those songs earned the band considerable praise, further fueling the shows that would follow. Everything on the horizon was all moving in the same direction: up.
NEW PHOTOS - Having just returned from the EU where they were a smash with audiences wherever they went, Filligar returned to the States triumphant - headlining the Bowery Ballroom in NYC... perhaps their biggest show to date. The evening was amazing... [Photographs from the New York show on Aug 4th, 2011. Mad respect and our thanks to David Kepner, who I met that night, for these great images.]
Best of 2011 SELECTION - I can't say enough strong things about the guys who founded the band Pela. On Tuesday 9/27 - the songs left on Pela's drawing board will be resurrected live by We are Augustines. The Boston Phoenix & the Bowery Boston host the evening. Leisure supports. Good fun!
Two wonderful Portland, Oregon bands (and another from Burlington, Vermont) will be pulling into GREAT SCOTT [tix], to help get your week off to a great start. Viva Voce are the cool, sensuous and psychedelic duo of Anita and Kevin Robinson. They just released The Future Will Destroy You this past summer, on Vanguard Records. The Parson Red Heads are lovely people with a sweet, gentle sound and gorgeous harmonies, spreading good cheer wherever they go. Their new album is Yearling.
NEW ENGLAND SOUND - And some very nice acoustic pop from Let’s Whisper will make a perfect start to the evening. They are about to embark on a tour of the UK. If you’re looking to seriously chill and recharge on this Monday night after a rough weekend, this is most definitely the show for you.
ARTIST OF THE DAY - In just two short days we will hear the latest solo effort from Suede frontman Brett Anderson. The record, titled "Black Rainbows," promises to be a somewhat melancholy affair - but the first single "Brittle Heart" has given us reason to believe that might not be such a bad thing... With the credentials in place earning him the ability to work with whoever the hell he wants, we think Anderson and this effort are going to be One To Watch on the road ahead. Stay tuned!
Playing just a few selective dates this fall, Counting Crows have been met by anxious fans and the reviews have been excellent. That was the case - another strong showing last night in Puyallup, Washinton for The Fair there. Counting Crows were supported by RSL favorites Kasey Anderson and the Honkies - a sick 1-2 ... (Interestingly, I believe our friend, Crows centerpiece Adam Duritz may have read and listened to Kasey for the first time on our website.) That def makes a music blogger feel good. Perhaps that's what motivated our friend Adamto wear his RSL T-SHIRT out on stage for the entire night in front of thousands of fans and hundreds of cameras last night! Adam you rock.
FEATURED ARTIST - Lindsey Starr has been a staple of the Boston/Allston music scene for over a decade. Having played in Barnicle and as lead in Lindsey Starr & The Chemical Smiles, Lindsey continues to push the boundaries of the local music scene. Most recently, Miss Starr set off solo and created a new power group of Boston heavy hitters known simply as Lindsey Starr. Her influences range from Joan Jett and Bob Dylan, to Joe Strummer and Tegan & Sara. Lindsey's most recent release called "Fake It" came out in June to high praise and was produced by Benjamin Greenspan, John Escobar, and Elliott Chaffee at Rocking Horse Stidos in Plainfield, NH.
We are delighted to help present a free Lindsey Starr performance. She and bandmates Danny O'Neil and John Escobar will play our CD Release show this Friday for THE HUSH NOW. It's a very sweet thing!
This event will be held at Foundry24 - a converted factory space in Charlestown, MA housing several emerging music and tech companies. The goal of Foundry24 is to build a productive community around the creative arts. -- IndieAmbassador.com empowers the music entrepreneur by providing the tools & resources necessary to build a transparent sustainable career. They are a small group of twenty-somethings who have been working professionally in the artist management, touring and marketing space for over a decade. They've witnessed firsthand the challenges of juggling the roles and responsibilities of a day-to-day music career while still keeping the dream alive. Indie Ambassador is a product of this environment. They are a software company building the foundation for the new music industry. -- Sidehatch Entertainment Group is a boutique music marketing, promotions, & creative strategy company. They provide their clients with an encompassing service in an environment conducive to fresh, innovative ideas. -- Strewnshank Studio is a full service recording studio and video production facility.
TOP TEN ALBUM FROM 2011 - Seldom have I seen a more artistically driven band than The Hush Now. As my individual music tastes have become refined over the course of the last six years and our influence as a regional and then as an international music blog has grown, this band's music has never been far away. Always touring, recording, refining,... This is a band you can get behind. They've got personality and soul and an X-Factor... As a listener, a fan and as a friend you could never get away from the one nagging point - The Hush Now were always better than the material they had recorded. (It's that type of growth pattern.)
This Friday sees the release of Memos - undeniably The Hush Now's finest work to date. Similar to some of their previous works, Memos was produced and recorded by Benny Grotto (Dresden Dolls, Ben Folds) at Mad Oak Studio's and mastered by Jeff Lipton (Arcade Fire, Magnetic Fields, Spoon). The Memos sessions yielded twelve new impressive tracks including ten album tracks, another Halloween single and New Year's single. Memos is a Rock/Pop masterpiece and an Album of the Year candidate.
The Hush Now Noel Kelly, Pat MacDonald, Barry Marino and Adam Quane
People are listening. The band leaked some songs from the new record and they immediately became the #2 most added on the CMJ Top 20 adds list and #3 most added on the CMJ AAA Top 5 adds list. All these lists mean something to music professionals but what it means to music nuts like you & me is this band is getting exposed to thousands of new people - and rightfully so! The anticipation has been pretty nuts. Thirteen new songs will be unleashed on Memos next Tuesday (9/27) but you can find out yourself here in Boston. We are working with some really exciting people (see the end of this post) to bring you a FREE CD RELEASE PARTY FOR THE HUSH NOW this Friday night in Sullivan Square (Orange Line) at Foundry24. The Hush Now will play the album from front to back. You can attend for free. 18+ Refreshments (also free) for those 21+
Wow, Ryan... How do you do it? I don't do it alone - that's for sure. In addition to our own volunteers and staff, RSL depends on sponsors and business partners to do these types of parties with great bands like this. In this case, if you RSVP to this show you get everything inside for free.
This event will be held at Foundry24 - a converted factory space in Charlestown, MA housing several emerging music and tech companies. The goal of Foundry24 is to build a productive community around the creative arts. -- IndieAmbassador.com empowers the music entrepreneur by providing the tools & resources necessary to build a transparent sustainable career. They are a small group of twenty-somethings who have been working professionally in the artist management, touring and marketing space for over a decade. They've witnessed firsthand the challenges of juggling the roles and responsibilities of a day-to-day music career while still keeping the dream alive. Indie Ambassador is a product of this environment. They are a software company building the foundation for the new music industry. -- Sidehatch Entertainment Group is a boutique music marketing, promotions, & creative strategy company. They provide their clients with an encompassing service in an environment conducive to fresh, innovative ideas. -- Strewnshank Studio is a full service recording studio and video production facility.
HOW TO ENTER: EMAIL US AT RSL (@) RSLBLOG (dot) COM WITH THE WORDS "AM & SHAWN LEE w/ STATIC OF THE GODS" in the subjectline.
One Winner will be notified by 1:30pm. Must be 18+. No information you ever submit on this site is ever shared with anyone. (You won't get more spam from us!) Good luck - and hope to see you all out tonight!
The trippy and experimental psych-folk Olivia Tremor Control are playing their first shows since 2005, where they will be previewing some new music from a forthcoming album due out early next year. It will be their first since 1999’s Black Foliage: Animation Music Volume 1. The first song, a glorious psychedelic odyssey in three movements called “The Game You Play Is In Your Head Parts 1, 2, 3,” can be streamed at NPR’s All Songs Considered. They also interviewed frontman Will Cullen Hart to catch us up with what the band’s been doing these past 10+ years.
Performing on tour with them are fellow Elephant 6 artists The Music Tapes, masterminded by Julian Koster. For those not ‘in the know,’ The Music Tapes employ some curious instrumentation - the 7-Foot-Tall Metronome, the Orchestral Banjo, and The Singing Saws, which creates deliciously devious lo-fi outer space magic. Their latest release is the EP Purim’s Shadows (The Dark Tours the World, which is available for your listening pleasure and purchase at Merge Records.)
The Elephant 6 Collective was founded in 1991 by Jeff Mangum (Neutral Milk Hotel), Bill Doss (The Olivia Tremor Control), Will Cullen Heart (The Olivia Tremor Control), and Robert Schneider (Apples in Stereo).
2011 Tour Dates: Sept. 19 - Allston, MA - Brighton Music Hall * Sept. 21 - New York, NY - Le Poisson Rouge * Sept. 23 - Philadelphia, PA - UPENN Rotunda * Sept. 24 - Durham, NC - The Casbah * Oct. 11-15 - Athens, GA - Athens PopFest Nov. 25 - Madrid, Spain - Primavera Club Nov. 26 - Barcelona, Spain - Primavera Club Nov. 28 - Toulouse, France - La Dynamo Dec. 2-4 - Butlins, Minehead, UK - ATP Festival * = with The Music Tapes
Seattle'sIvan & Alyosha are named for the main characters in Dostoevsky's Brothers Karamazov. Appropriately lyrical and deep, the songs of the band are stories about life and the things that occupy mens' minds. Earlier this year, I was delighted to invite them to play RSL's celebrated Smoke & Sand Showcase during SxSW in Austin, TX.
RSL STREAMING PHOTO ALBUM
These images were taken at Lee's Palace in Toronto during NxNE - a magical time of discovery north of the border. Hat's off to booker over at Lee's - you did a great job this year. These images mark our first festival foray outside the confines of the US and we will certainly be going back for more. {editor's note: click the NxNE tag at the end of the post for more photographs in Toronto - click Mark Jenko tag is see more of his live images for RSL}
A BEST OF 2011 ALBUM SELECTION - Some thirty-plus years in the making, country-tinged rockabilly punk legend Roy Sludge releases his debut album this evening in Cambridge. For the unfamiliar, and let's face it - most of you are new to the name Roy Sludge, there is a decent chance that the deep-voice talent has entertained you in some way if you have frequented Boston area shows over the years.
THE MAN BEHIND THE SOUND - Sludge cut his teeth in the Boston music scene in the late 70's. In the 80's he helped form the original Barrence Whitfield and the Savages and Noise Pencil (later the Turbines), sharing the stage with the Del Fuegos, the Blasters and Mission of Burma. The 90's saw the formation of local cowpunk legends the Country Bumpkins with Rich Gilbert and Western Swing supergroup the Spurs. in 2000 you can hear Sludge's keyboards on the Mighty Mighty Bosstones "Pay Attention" . Forming the theremin lounge act the Electric Logs saw him nominated for Boston Music Awards. As a member of the Tarbox Ramblers Sludge recorded with the legendary Memphis producer Jim Dickinson. As the decade came to an end there wasn't a beer hall or juke joint in the area that didn't star roots acts, L'il Memphis or the Coachmen both led by Mr Sludge.
There are so many good things to say about this album but I will start here: this is the record Mr. Sludge so obviously wanted to make. A first effort album that celebrates the country he listened to as a boy. What Sludge and his band bring to the fore is really something quite special. He is one of most dynamic-sounding frontman in New England (hands down there kids - nobody sounds like Roy Sludge) he also brings a trademark Memphis-style rockabilly flourish that rounds out the songs on "Too Drunk To Truck."
Celebrated throughout, in true country-western form, is the elevation of the blue collar hero. Instead of hiding behind the persona of his songs, Sludge celebrates the thinking process of the Everyman in the the room. This is exceptional roots music - completely grounded and human, all at once. I think Johnny Cash himself wouldn't mind putting on this album on a hot summer night. This is the kind of country/roots album that fans of all genres can get into as well. It's a testament to Roy's passion and the execution on this winning effort.
The new record will be available for download on itunes and all credible online sites, at Newbury Comics locations and of course at the CD release show tonight. No plans? FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE This is going to be incredible - you should go.
When I first really became obsessive about music, it was listening to the muddy and dissonant sound of Dinosaur Jr's 1988 album "Bug." Not only did that record swallow me whole every time I played it, letting me explore something confusing and fraught but still somehow welcoming, but it made the teenage me feel tough and eccentrically cool.
I recall that (very) old feeling, just a little, as I listen to some of the tracks on White Hills' album "H-p1." It's the kind of record that I can imagine would sound a chilling in a gloomy venue on a dark night, in their native NYC. It gives you that feeling that you're doing something rebellious when you play it alone. Merely by association, you are rather more impressively mysterious to those who hear you play it.
I've looked into the band and found only a little information about them, and perhaps that's a good thing. The kind of abrasive noise-core sound they have needs to remain otherworldly (they describe themselves as "spacerock"). There are pictures and videos out there, but seeing them doesn't do the band any favors. There is nothing wrong with them of course, but like the vague imagery of the album's cover and the confusing moves of the music's twists and turns, I don't want to have their ambiguity resolved into ordinary people. I want to be lost by it, and the teenage me hopes that those around me are lost by it too.
White Hills is perhaps best described as the most aggressive and uncompromising mood music I have come across in the recent past, and, while it's never going to top Jr for me, it's certainly full of the kind of intrigue and darkness that made that band so fascinating to me, back in the 80s.
North American Tour Dates 11.05.11 - Paradise Rock Club - Boston, MA 11.06.11 - Theatre Of Living Arts - Philadelphia, PA 11.08.11 - Phoenix Theatre - Toronto, ONT 11.09.11 - Calvin College - Grand Rapids, MI 11.11.11 - Lincoln Hall - Chicago, IL 11.12.11 - Lincoln Hall - Chicago, IL 11.13.11 - Turner Hall - Milwaukee, WI 11.14.11 - First Ave Nightclub - Minneapolis, MN 11.17.11 - Neptune Theatre - Seattle, WA 11.18.11 - Venue - Vancouver, BC 11.19.11 - Wonder Ballroom - Portland, OR 11.21.11 - Great American Music Hall - San Francisco, CA 11.22.11 - House Of Blues - Anaheim, CA 11.24.11 - Escenica - Monterrey, MEX 11.25.11 - Teatro Diana - Guadalajara, MEX 11.26.11 - Plaza Condesa - Mexico City, MEX
Probably the best part of having my own music blog is that I get to introduce people to amazing music. And the best part of being a promoter of those songs is that I get to bring those acts together and put on hella cool showcases at great venues - offering up taste-making adventures for our readers. Today's post is about all those things.
NEW MUSIC VIDEO!
The music of AM was first brought to my attention two years. AM had just released the smart, ironic and entirely cool "Future Sons & Daughters" (RSL's Best of 2009) - a soul and lounge masterpiece album which has stayed with me ever since. Having the chance to bump into AM a couple of times here and there or tour the last few years I have been pleased to hear the best parts of his earlier meanderings have bled over into his new project, but with some exciting differences. "Celestial Electric" is the name of AM's new record with co-conspirator Shawn Lee.
The new album is "trademark AM", hauntingly cool & fresh - think 70's soul with a flourish of rock, pop and world beat. The pair arrive in town next week for their only regional stop on tour. RSL is at the helm pairing AM & Shawn Lee with Static of the Gods - possibly the best regional band for atmospheric rock, table-setting mood music and strong, celebratory vocals. Their latest record, the results of touring the country, countless hours in the studio and Boston living, is called "Knowledge Machine." It's a winning effort capable of transporting listeners and moving worlds...
SHOW DETAILS: Monday, Sept 19th -This, my friends, is a stellar lineup and at a $10 ticket - the best show in town for the next seven days... Join us at The Middle East next Monday for auditory greatness (RSVP)!
Tues 9/13 Atlanta, GA - Tabernacle Wed 9/14 Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium Fri 9/16 Dallas, TX - House Of Blues Sun 9/18 Austin, TX - Austin City Limits Music Festival Tues 9/20 Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre
THE WORLD COMES TO BOSTON - For the unfamiliar, Manu Chao is probably one of the world's most popular musicians but is still relatively unknown here in the United States. (He regularly performs for audiences numbering in the tens of thousands in Europe, Central and South America.) With the current US tour, which brought Manu Chao and his band, Radio Bemba, to Boston last week, that trend could be changing. The sold-out HOB audience was treated to a two hour, five encore musical feast - an adrenaline pumping ride through 4 or 5 languages and countless songs.
Manu's last appearance in Boston was in 2007. For many years it was rumored he would not bring his live show to the States as an objection to the policies of the U.S. Government; those familiar with his music probably can see the correlation. These qualities were felt in Manu's latest Boston performance in songs “Politics Kill” over the music of “Machine Gun” in an encore, to the endless invoking of Bob Marley, and the repetition of "Babylon." Manu Chao isn't subtle.
Radio Bemba’s music is a mix of the electronic atmosphere of the recorded Manu Chao albums, classic one-drops, driving punk rock and ska. The band throughout the show jumps between a roots feel and a heart attack inducing double-time ska-rock reminiscent of a James Brown or Toots “soul revival.” The group is currently a 4-man band. In previous incarnations of Radio Bemba there have been horn sections, percussionists, keys/samplers, accordion and even a reggae vocalist, (all of these can be heard and seen on the Radio Bembe Babylonia en Guagua CD and DVD.)
RSL STREAMING PHOTO ALBUM
As someone that has been following the group for the last decade I was very pleased to hear classic version of old favorites, but there was something here for everyone... Even if you were only there to dance and jump around. For those looking for a respite from Tea Party America, this was the place to be. Walking through the HOB, one couldn’t help but notice the lack of English in your neighbor’s conversation; Spanish, French, Italian, and Portuguese were readily available and the youth and energy of the international crowd seemed to translate to the first note all the way through to the last.
