I had a pretty long review written out for the new Aeroplane, 1929 album “Attic and Cellar”. Essentially it was a bunch of ways of rewording my love for this album. As I continuously proof read I came to the realization that I am making my review way too complicated. “Attic and Cellar” is a simple record. It isn’t flashy and it isn’t a huge change in sound from their previous work, but it is truly a joy to listen to and immerse yourself in. Instead of lacing my review with comparisons to other artists and relentless amounts of praise, here are a few simple reasons you need to listen to this album and support Aeroplane, 1929.
Aeroplane, 1929 deserve respect. Before "Attic and Cellar", the band had 3 stellar releases under their belt, two of which were released on north east indie label Topshelf Records (sidenote: this label is killing it, I recommend every artist on Topshelf). While all three are praised by critics and fans, it seems as if Aeroplane isn’t as big as they deserve to be. They have paid their dues, playing countless shows and working tirelessly throughout their career to continually release a steady flow of excellent music despite a healthy amount of non musical commitments. For that, they should be commended.
Aeroplane, 1929 are breaking up. "Attic and Cellar" will act as the bands swan song, and even though it may be too late to jump on the bandwagon, there is no reason to not try and catch up. The band will play their last show in August at the Space in Hamden, but not before a brief tour (more on that at the end). This album and the coming shows in the next few months are your last chances to appreciate a band that has done a lot for the Connecticut music scene.
Aeroplane, 1929 have released the best cohesive piece of local music thus far in 2010. "Attic and Cellar" is interesting, exciting and moving. The immense talent of everyone in the band is showcased. Frontman Alex Mazaferro’s vocals will remind you of the singer from Deer Tick if that guy had a little more soul and anxiety. The core band of Mazaferro, Noah Goldman, Jacob Goldman and Wil Mulhern lead a lengthy list of contributers through the album with an undeniably tightness. The instruments used throughout, including flute, marimba and trash can(!), all fit the flow and vibe of the album perfectly and never once does the use of “crystal glasses” seem pretentious or unnecessary.
Aeroplane, 1929 are great at what they love to do, make music. If given the chance, this album will become something that you play regularly, it's a truly special effort from a fantastic local talent. The band's record release show will be this Friday July 2nd at the Wallingford American Legion with Sidewalk Dave, Luke Elliot, Lion Cub and more. It costs 10 dollars to get in, but you get a free copy of the album, which is worth the price of admission alone. Don't miss your last few chances to see and support a fantastic and criminally underrated Connecticut band.
Aeroplane, 1929 has approximately a dozen shows left in their career. You can check all of the dates here. More will be written about their last show, at the Space in Hamden as more of the information is made public.
Punknews is streaming the new album from Connecticut punk band Hostage Calm entitled "Hostage Calm" which is set for release on July 20 through Run for Cover Records.
Hostage Calm recently played in Wallingford with With Honor. You can read a review here. The band is embarking on a summer tour that will bring them back to Wallingford on August 21st with Title Fight, My Heart to Joy, Midi and the Modern Dance and Heavy Breath for the release show of this very record. More on that at a closer date. For now, enjoy the album.
Dex Romweber is an icon of the American rock and roll underground. The former frontman for the world famous psycho-surf-rockabilly-garage-punk combo Flat Duo Jets, which needs no intro here. Dex has long been a force for the cause of rock and roll and is one of the most original and larger than life personalities to come along since the days of Gene Vincent and Little Richard. He’s joined in the duo by his sister Sara Romweber who’s been smacking drums since way back in bands such as Mitch Easter, Lets Active, and Snatches of Pink. Dex Romweber's new record Live At Third Man is produced by Jack White.
“Dex Romweber was and is a huge influence on my music. I owned all of his records as a teenager, and was thrilled at the fact that we were able to play together recently on tour. [He is] is one of the best kept secrets of the rock n roll underground.” —Jack White, White Stripes
Tour dates:
Jul 01 Cafe Nine New Haven, CT
Jul 02 Mexicali Live Teaneck, NJ, Kenneth Brian supports
Jul 03 Zaphod Beeblebrox Ottawa, Ont
Jul 04 La Sola Rosa Montreal, Quebec
Jul 06 Sneaky Dee's Toronto, Ont
Jul 07 Thunderbird Cafe Pittsburgh, PA
Jul 08 Majestic Cafe Detroit, MI
Jul 09 The Abbey Chicago, IL, Black Diamond Heavies support
Jul 10 Bourbon Street, Columbus, OH
Jul 11 Southgate House Newport, KY, Black Diamond Heavies support
Friday, July 23rd comes an event that should not be missed. It's a free show in Bushnell Park to celebrate Hartford's 375th!
The event will be brought to you by The Wadsworth Atheneum & The Hartford Party Starters Union, and will feature some huge huge names. This is something you really can't miss. Seriously, just look at this lineup!
Janelle Monae - Grammy-nominated singer and dancer from Kansas, she's currently signed to the Wondaland Arts Society and Bad Boy/Atlantic Records. Retro, soulful and fun, her tunes are impossible to pin down, one second it's Motown, the next it's psych rock. She recently released her new album The ArchAndroid (Suites II and III) which is a must-hear. Seriously, probably one of the best releases of 2010.
Holy Ghost! - NYC electronic pop duo, currently signed to DFA. Their tunes have a vintage 80s Prince waviness to them. These guys have remixed a butt-ton of awesome tunes, and are going to be on tour with Chromeo! Catch them before they get super famous (which they will really soon.)
Tobacco - Tobacco has been tearing it up lately. When not doing tunes with Black Moth Super Rainbow, he's making crazy trippy weird tunes as Tobacco. He recently recorded the dark Maniac Meat which even includes some of Beck's signature vocals paired with Tobaccos reedy synthesized whispers. What's not to love?
Maluca -Listening to Maluca is like listening to reggaeton in a blender from the center of the earth. She does some really weird stuff, but it's damn catchy and fun to boot. Just watch this video and you'll see what I mean:
Cubic Zirconia - NYC electro funk afropop wave band. There's a ton of buzz going on about them, and from everything I've heard about them, they put on a great live show. They literally just released their new EP "Black & Blue" last week. See the video below:
DJ Rizzla will also be there spinning some great tunes.
IT’S FREE and it's ALL AGES!
This is the real deal. There will be food vendors on Trinity Street and Black Bear Saloon vending beers in the beer garden. Bring a change of clothes and some dancing shoes to work that Friday, and get ready to shake your ass off.
Find out all kinds of information about give-aways, after-party details and everything else at http://www.StillWavy375.com/
While on stage, Nobunny dresses (and undresses) in a bunny mask that is often accompanied by other odd stage-attire choices, such as weaves, ball gags, firecrackers, panties, knee pads and coats made of trash. Nobunny is known for mixing lo-fi garage punk with bubblegum pop and power pop. He has named The Ramones, Hasil Adkins and The Cramps as being influences on his music. HoZac Records
Medication Lonely lo-fi garage rock from New Milford, CT. Not to be missed. HoZac Records
Nobunny dates:
7.1 New York, NY @ Cake Shop 7.2 Southapmton, PA @ Bordz Skate Park 7.3 Washington, DC @ Black Cat 7.4 Durham, NC, @ Layabout 7.6 Lawrence, KS @ Jackpot Saloon 7.7 Denver, CO @ Hi-Dive 7.9 Salt Lake City, UT @ The Woodshed 7.10 Reno, NV @ TBA 7.21 San Francisco, CA @ Bottom Of The Hill w/ The Spits 7.23 San Diego, CA @ Johnny Rad Fest w/ The Zeros 7.24 Las Vegas, NV @ Las Vegas Country Saloon 7.25 Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo w/ The Spits, Audacity
With Honor, Hostage Calm, Ambitions, Nation of Thieves, Tabernackle Wallingford Hungarian Club – June 26th 2010 Manicproductions.org Photos by Jon Contois (blame Mark Nussbaum for spelling error)
I have been shaken to the “core” lately whenever I think about the Connecticut hardcore scene; there are just a lot of things about it that really upset me. I remember one of the first shows I went to in Connecticut, I nearly got my face smashed in just by standing up front singing along to one of my favorite songs. I believe that hardcore punk has the potential to make positive changes in the lives of the people who frequent shows, who will then go on to make positive changes outside of the show, but Connecticut seems to be the anomaly to this, the exception. However, it goes without saying that there are plenty of hardworking bands from Connecticut that will agree that the macho-tough guy mentality is indeed totally bogus, and unfortunately, that band is broken up (but reunited, again).
With Honor’s third return to Connecticut was no doubt a high-energy stellar performance, but the show lacked a climax, it lacked that special something that makes reunions really stand out. Maybe it’s the fact that this is their third reunion in two years. Regardless, the Wallingford Hungarian Club was revived with the proud Connecticut Youth (and some not so youthful).
Tabernackle from Providence, Rhode Island was up first. Being the opening band on a hardcore show is just as difficult as solving a Rubik’s cube to me. Trying to figure out the crowd and motivate them to move, or even express any interest in your band can really just be too much to bear. However, they pressed on through their set, playing re-inspired 90’s hardcore for fans of Snapcase. The Connecticut crowd doesn’t take kindly to out of towners, and much to Tabernackle’s disapproval, they continued the tradition of the horseshoe effect. Tabernackle didn't receive so much as a head nod from the audience. I found it easy to listen to front man Tom Zannini’s vocal styling’s as they reminded me of Ray Cappo’s pissed yelps, but I think that it went over a lot of people’s heads. Their set unfortunately dragged on until they broke out into a revamped version of the straight edge classic by Project x “Straight Edge Revenge” and a few members of the crowd began to pile on when Tom jumped onto the floor to reach the audience.
Originally scheduled to play was Reignition, but their van broke down in Philadelphia. Taking their place was Nation of Thieves, a Connecticut local band I had yet to hear. When they started out their set, I was very psyched to hear a slightly atonal riff lead into their first song of their set, and I began to get excited to hear a band that maybe was going to impress me with a little deviance from the “norm.” Their presence certainly reminded me a lot of some of the greatest youth crew bands from the late 80’s and early 90’s but what lies underneath their image are layers that I can only feel safe describing as “new school.” I sense they take their influences from many different aspects of rock n roll, and while this band was also unable to motivate any movement from the crowd, I would not be surprised to see this band successful in other places of the globe. As if the crowd weren’t even there, they fought through the cutting glares of the un-dazzled crowd and gave it their all. I recommend this band to anyone who likes bands like Verse and Modern Life is War.
Ambitions took the stage next. They played Welcome to Connecticut, and within moments the crowd had exploded into a frenzy of kids stage diving, kids moshing, and kids unsure what to do first: mosh or dive? The reaction was very positive for Ambitions, playing their first set in Connecticut since their break up in 2008, hoping to create a spark as they prepare to release a posthumous 7”. It’s sets like theirs that make me wonder, why even break up in the first place? A band doesn’t need to command a crowd, or even ask for anything from them, in Connecticut they just go (GO!) as if Ambitions had never lost steam. You wouldn’t even be able to notice as they jumped around their discography of EP’s and their latest full length “Stranger”. The crowd piled on and sang along. The crew was strong. The youth was proud.
Local favorites Hostage Calm were up next, playing their first Wallingford show in quite sometime. Without even saying a word, the room erupted upon the first chord, and after their introduction, went right into their first song of the night “Audible,” a song that does it all. Kids completely lost their minds, stage diving left and right, climbing over people’s skull’s just to get a piece of the microphone, a mile wide circle pit and plenty of “woah’s” and finger-pointing, all within a very short period of time. I began to see some mosh pit violence, an occurrence I know Hostage Calm as a band is very much opposed to, and it just baffles me that regardless how outspoken they are about it as a band, why people continue to act like total assholes. Chris Martin’s melodies are some of the best I’ve heard from any punk band, and the back ups by bassist Tim Casey really add to it, or from what I could hear through the muddled PA system and crew vocals. A very passionate performance while being technically on point throughout their whole set. Hostage Calm ripped through several songs on their soon to be released self-titled full length record that differ a lot from their relatively cookie-cutter melodic hardcore. Their newest songs are far more melody and less hard, but that they don’t lack substance. Alan from My Heart To Joy was playing auxiliary percussion from the corner of the stage through a new dance song they have and the entire crowd was just bobbing up and down to the beat. It was so refreshing to be witness to this, as if maybe there’s some hope that Hostage Calm might be able to inspire a change in the attitude at shows they play in Connecticut.
Oh, and there were several boogie board stage dives brought to you by Sean Bee. Please stop in to Redscroll Records and thank him for that.
With Honor gathered a crowd in front of the stage even minutes before they played. Mostly old friends crammed up against the stage to see With Honor for one more time, and to be right up front to witness it all. As soon as they started, it was a free for all of stage diving, pile ons, and lots of pool toys. Happy summer! The crowd from the floor, drowning out Todd Mackey’s voice, echoed every word of every song. In between the gang vocals were perfectly delivered notes and yells however, and they tore through a large sampling of their discography. Without stopping even for a moment, they kept the energy flowing and lots of positive vibes moving throughout the room. Their performance was super tight, it was awesome to see a band I had seen many, many years ago on a different coast be completely and wholly appreciated in their home state. Some of the stories my friends tell me about seeing With Honor are really inspirational and very special. Tonight wasn’t special to me, and I felt like it wasn’t special to a lot of people in the room, that it was just “another Connecticut Hardcore show.” I know deep down inside that it was far more than that to the band and I’m sure many people were touched that With Honor played again, but tonight proved to me that With Honor has more steam now than they have in the past. I feel like the show happened as if With Honor had never called it quits, but picked up right where they left off. I would like to see With Honor continue on not so that there’s another solid Connecticut band again, but so that way there will be a solid band promoting something positive, and to influence a change in the participants of hardcore music for more than just a single evening.
Bare with me while I try to write a review that I enjoy writing and enjoy reading. I'm not going to act as though there was some sort of ambiance in the air that made me feel this way or that way about how the night was going to unravel or anything of the sort, primarily because that won't be of any real interest to the reader, and secondly, I'd probably have to lie to make it sound anything more than restless, tired, and totally self involved. If my own self involvement interests you, buy my zines, shameless plug, www.hotairpress.org.
Heavy Breath was the first band to play. Killian (who sings) wasn't wearing shoes, Mike Tobey (bass) was wearing red pants, JP (guitar) was wearing an Iron Age shirt (I like Iron Age), I don't remember what Chris (drums) was wearing, but you probably don't care anyway. I hate trying to say "this band sounds like this" or "if you're into this band, check out this band" because half the time, I feel as though I'm zoning out and not paying attention to what they really sound like and any comparison I might give would be either A. completely off the mark or B. well, I don't have a B. However, for the purposes of this drivel, I'll tell you that I heard parts that reminded me of 108, Deadguy, Rage Against the Machine, and some punx. Of all the bands that these guys have been in (Crackin, other ones I can't remember because I slept 2 hours last night), this is probably the only one that I've really enjoyed watching and hearing. I say check them out if you're into things that groove.
Cold Snap played next. It's unfair for me to write about this band because they're all close friends of mine and I put their 7" out (with Ben who plays bass in Cold Snap). I'll keep it brief. Cold Snap is a group of musicians that are simply in love with playing music and hanging out. Who knows when they're playing another show. One time they covered the beginning of "Stars" by Hum. They're a great band and they played a great set with a good number of new jams and that was that. This one time Jack was walking around in Unionville, where he lives, and this guy tried starting shit with him in a parking lot and Jack turned to him and said "Yo, your vibe is whack" and walked away. If you're not into Cold Snap, chances are, your vibe is whack.
Robots and Empire played after that. It's tough for me to write about this band as well because whatever I usually has to say revolves around me insulting anyone that isn't into them. A good percentage of the shows they play in Connecticut are poorly attended, to no fault of their own, but an unfortunate fact through and through. They covered Portishead and it sounded fantastic, as did the rest of their set. I could watch them play every night. I don't think they've written a song I don't like. They had CD-Rs available of another band that some of them are in called Spare Parks. You can find them on Myspace and Facebook and other sites. Anyway, this is another band that if you haven't taken the time to watch or listen to, you are seriously missing out. They wear wallabees, play heavy music inspired by 90s hardcore and space rock, and continually play to the same fifteen people in Connecticut every time they can. If you haven't listened to them, do so. If you haven't seen them play live, come see them the next time they're in your area.
Acid Tiger played last. They were really loud and their songs are really long and I was tired so this wore on me quickly, but I still enjoyed their set. A little bit of punk and a lot of rock. They got into their set and were fun to watch. I don't really have much else to say about this band. All the guys have been in other bands (to the best of my knowledge) (Converge, United Nations, etc) and it's nice to see them come out and play hard. It's nice seeing people still enjoy playing music, touring, and not being completely jaded.
Overall, the show had a generally thin attendance, but the people who were there wanted to be. I'm not one to try and con people into coming out to a show that they don't care about (but then again, I'm not the one covering costs, so I can afford (literally) to say that), and while it's nice to see a show attended by people who are psyched on the bands playing, it's generally disconcerting and wearing to see that so few people actually care. It's probably just this state.
Jucifer, founded in Georgia in 1993, are pioneers of the sludge/doom metal two piece. They are notorious for their use of massive amplification, and for their entirely nomadic lifestyle since moving into their tour vehicle a decade ago. Early on, Jucifer shared stages with many underground legends, including Lubricated Goat, Bloodloss (Mark Arm/Mudhoney), Melt Banana, Melvins and Eyehategod. Years based in Athens, Georgia from 1991 until 2001 were pivotal both for Jucifer and the Southern scene itself, which has evolved to strongly reflect bands such as Jucifer and contemporaries Harvey Milk. Relapse Records
Old Man Lady Luck: New Haven supergroup featuring members of The Vultures, Humanoid, The Black Noise Scam, Murdervan, Bloarzeyd, and Atrina.
Gloominous Doom’s metal thrashing reggae madness first reared its ugly head in late 2005, when Jeremiah Stoyer (drums), Chris Bewley (guitar), Austin Ernst (bass/vocals) and Floyd “Bone” Rhodes (guitar/vocals) inducted Jeff Kruppenbach into their doomed cult to man the mic (and play a mean cowbell!). Born of booze, blood, and Black Sabbath.
Electric Bucket: Punk/noise/garage rock band from Milford, CT. The quartet features 3/4 of New Haven's infamous Carlos Projeckt with lead vocalist/wildcat Steph Brown! The bucket's unique sound features barbarian spazz drums, fuzzed-out psycho bass lines, bird warrior guitar attacks and girl-on-guy screaming!
I remember seeing Bourgeois Heroes back at New England Popfest in 2008. At the time, it was just Jason Bourgeois up there on stage doing what he does best: playing cute little pop songs on an electric guitar. He even ended his set with a tape recorder held up to a microphone, belting out "God Only Knows" by The Beach Boys with the audience singing backup parts. It was one of those had to be there kind of things. I've seen Jason a few times since, I mean, it's impossible to miss him if you ever set foot in Northampton, he plays in a million bands up there. Anyway, this outfit is called Bourgeois Heroes, and they're typically a duo.
So a little bit of history on them; Jason and Elise formed back in 2002 are spread between Northampton, MA and Austin, TX. They've recently released their Musical Postcards EP. It's a collections of songs that have been worked on through the mail, through demos and postcards sent back and forth. It's a very interesting concept, and the results are a bunch of shimmering 60s pop gems that make you feel good about your day. The album was recorded by Justin Pizzoferrato (Dinosaur Jr., Hush Arbors, Sonic Youth) at Bank Row Recording, which is probably why the sound quality is so great. Anyway, these are beautifully written tunes that wear The Kinks, Beach Boys and Beatles influences on their sleeve; which is a very welcome thing in my book.
Peep a listen right here, the album's only gonna set you back 4 bucks.
There's nothing like going to a show beat down from a weekend's worth of ass-busting labor, especially when you are fully aware that you'll be getting up for work at the butt crack of dawn Monday morning. Shaki Presents' Sunday night series was one of the rare excuses that could make someone like myself say fuck it and go out anyway. Bear in Heaven happens to be another. Showing up to find out the photographer didn't make it was no fun though. Missing Wess Meets West was not fun either. One of those guys once told me that they are going to open for U2 on the moon in the near future, so maybe I'll catch them then. I'm also guilty of missing the first half of Lobisomem's set, too, since I was loitering outside, joking around with everyone about dickheaded booking agencies, how much moths suck, and stealing The Space's owner's Dodge Dart.
Maybe the heat and humidity kept the show-goers at home. Who knows. But there was around fifty or so heads there at the most. It's tough when an audience is so sparse mainly because it leaves a live band without enough crowd-created energy to feed off of. Maybe this is even more true at The Space, a place that has a reputation for causing awkwardness for the crowds and bands alike. I wonder if it's also the fact that the booze-less-ness of The Space leaves everyone too damn self-conscious to enjoy the show. Us uptight hipsters are socially retarded, remember.
But what hindered Bear in Heaven was not the thin audience, it was that their live sound did not get its due. The room and The Space's PA were the reasons, which seem totally unsuited for bands that, instead of overdriving their amps or are intimate folk acts, rely primarily on running direct. Depending on where you stand in the room, it can be a completely different show. Getting too close to the stage means losing the fuller sound you get at the back of the room. And even then you kinda need to find a sweet spot, which was incidentally found to be closer to the merch table than over by the stairway to the bathroom.
Bear in Heaven live should be felt in your guts. They have a huge sound and are known for putting on intense performances. All limitations aside, they did sound pretty good, especially during the second half of their set. The smaller, more restrained performance turned into an opportunity to pay close attention to the band's musicianship. As a trio, they still achieve what they did as a four piece on Beast Rest Forth Mouth. The drummer is a fucking octopus, and I actually started feeling sorry for the sweat-drenched guy since most every song requires nonstop flailing. Guitarist Adam Wills might be a little underused, but I couldn't tell exactly who was making what sounds since they all intertwine so well to begin with. For all I know he was holding everything together. Jon Philpot uses an interesting setup of midi-interfaced knob tweak-age and a block of stomp boxes at his feet. His vocal tone was straight off the record, and it was great to hear him belt out the coda of Beast in Peace as intensely as it is on the recording. Jon and Adam share guitar and bass duties, switching between songs almost as often as Sebadoh does. It's one of my favorite parts of the band - they use all that electronic gear with the pretty blinking lights, but still use the basics just as much.
The two surprises in their set were an older song that they revamped to play as a three-piece but said they'd likely never play again. I didn't catch the name of it. The second surprise was what they closed with - a cover of the Lindstrøm & Christabelle track Lovesick which is off of Real Life Is No Cool. Short of that, their set was all the best from Beast Rest Forth Mouth.
Even it wasn't the show hoped for, Bear in Heaven impressed.
Frontman Jon Philpot founded Bear In Heaven in 2003, using his previous project Presocratics as a starting point for the Tunes Nextdoor and Songs EP. After several years with a few lineup changes and an album along the way, Bear In Heaven churned out the kraut-inspired Beast Rest Forth Mouth. Recorded as a four piece, the band has since trimmed down to a trio after the departure Sadek Bazaraa. The band is touring with Crystal Castles and will also tour with Twin Sister and Mountain Man. Bear in Heaven will also have performances at NYC's South Street Seaport, Pitchfork Fest in Chicago, Capitol Hill Block Party and Austin City Limits.
Jon Philpot recently shared his time with CT Indie to talk about the band and music in general!
CT INDIE: I have been listening to Beast Rest Forth Mouth nonstop for a couple of days now. The first song, Beast in Peace is so mind blowing because it feels like Talk Talk's Ascension Day or even After the Flood reconfigured as a tribal kraut epic. It was such a relief to hear a band reconnecting with that kind of intensity and freedom. So much of what's happening in music today is, I hate to say, ephemeral, but Bear in Heaven sounds like it's reaching for... timelessness. How did this all come about?
JON: We love Talk Talk. This is a high compliment. Timelessness is - and - has secretly been one of my musical objectives. We have to live with our music for a long time. It has to stand the test of time. I'd love it if we could transcend trends and make music that people will enjoy years from now. For years, it was a self- defense mechanism... We're making music that not many people enjoyed... so I thought, maybe they'd like it in 10 years?! Most of the music that has influenced me is 20 years old or older. Bands like Spaceman 3, Talk Talk, Faust, Heldon, Fleetwood Mac or composers Charlemagne Palistine, Scott Walker and Tony Conrad shaped how I listen too and accept music. So, it only made sense to look toward the future. Maybe, just maybe, someone will change the way they think about music after buying one of our records from a dollar bin in the year 2031.
CT INDIE: How has the tour been going? Have you encountered anything that really surprised you along the way, or had anything unusual happen?
JON: Tour was amazing. Currently home for a spell, working on new songs and just unwinding as much as possible. We made a huge leap from never touring for more than 2 weeks at a time, to an expansive and exhausting 11 weeks. I gotta say, we did quite well... Minimal disasters and a lot of amazing shows. As far as surprises, obviously getting majorly derailed by the volcanic ash cloud was pretty epic. Instead of a quick 2 hour flight from Spain to London, we spent 50+ hours in vans, trains, and tunnels to make it, was an exercise in patience and endurance to say the least....
CT INDIE: What do you think about where music fits into our lives today; not only in how it's experienced but also in how it's produced?
JON: Hmm, I'm not yet 90 years old, so it's hard to see a full generation’s difference in music and compare and contrast. I will say I listen to more music than I ever have, and that's saying a lot. It gets overwhelming at times, as we all share music, and I hit this wall a couple of years ago, frustratingly so, that I'll never ever ever, we'll never ever ever catch up. There's SO much out there. And as a musician, it surrounds me. At home on my stereo, on my commute in my headphones, at practice through my amp, and at shows on stage and off. I could get deep and try to critique the state of music, but really, I'm generally pretty stoked on it. Creativity is high, especially with the folks I know, and that's really all I desire. Pretty cool.
CT INDIE: Do you think it's still important to write an album, not just individual songs? Do you approach recording with any overall concepts in mind?
JON: I don't think we've ever approached an album with an overwhelming amount of concept. We write songs as they come, many develop along the way, and as other songs are completed, the songs we have "in the can" tend to morph and change around. We do believe that an album should work as a whole, and we put a lot of thought and effort into making sure that happens. We've yet to sit down, and discuss major themes either lyrically or musically prior to making an album, but we definitely know what fits or doesn't, and aren't afraid to heavily edit songs in order to make them work with others.
CT INDIE: What are some of the non-musical inspirations that you work into your songwriting, from the visual to the abstract?
JON: How could this be narrowed down? Childhood, the 223rd dimension, deserts, women, light, friendship, smiles with strangers, the future, Peru, Georgia, Alabama, positivity, negativity, the Gulf, meditation, salt, muscles, haha, shit, I dunno. We take it all in!
CT INDIE: Have you come across any opinions or perspectives about Bear in Heaven that you hadn't ever considered before, but found to be a welcome take on your music?
JON: We do enjoy when critics or fans can't place us in time or genre. That has to be my favorite. We've always pegged ourselves as an outsider band, and done a great deal of work to never wear our influences on our sleeves. The biggest surprise is how many people have pegged us an 80's synth revivalist sort of band. I'm cool with that. We all are. But I can't say that was a conscious thing. We probably pull the most of our inspiration to the 2 decades before then, but I gotta say, comparisons to Toto, Talk Talk or Moroder.. that's good company :)
CT INDIE: What kind of gear do you use to achieve your sound? Are there any tools that you simply could never do without?
JON: In my opinion, we've got a lot of unique things going on that really separate us from most bands... That especially goes for our live shows. We are all connected via midi, and there's lot of drum triggers going on, that are equal parts limiting and enabling... Through technology, we've been able to figure out ways to reproduce an album written as a 4 piece, as a 3 piece.. It can be frustrating being a technology driven band... We rival Battles in the amount of cables we have strewn on stage.. and it really challenges my OCD tendencies, seeing this HUGE mess of wires laying about. It can slow us down a bit, as we are all learning these processes as we go, no one in the band went to Carnegie Mellon, haha. In the same breath, it's super rewarding to bang your head in the practice space over this process and then, boom! we figure it out, it's a learning experience, and drives the way we construct a song more than you'd ever imagine.
CT INDIE: What is the band most excited about right now?
JON: The door has been opened for us. We've been a band for over 6 years now, just busting our humps for the sake of friendship and music. We've got an audience now, and that's pretty inspiring. Knowing that people are listening is vindicating. We're doing our first US headlining tour this summer, that's special, and we're re-releasing our album with a bonus remix disc of basically a dream come true list of remixers. We're a happy (and busy) bunch of guys.
Wess Meets West - "Huge epic indie quasi-metal in the vein of Russian Circles. There were a few moments when the band appeared as though it could force a crescendo through pure energy".-Hartford Advocate
Lobisomem makes instrumental electronic music. His music, however, does not fall comfortably into the boxes that one normally uses to categorize electronic music. It is not dance music, sample-laden cut-ups, or raw experimental noise. It is instead a hybrid of more subtle influences referencing African, South American, and Jamaican music as well as more native forces such as hip-hop and jazz.
Bear in Heaven Tour Dates
06/24 - Portland, ME @ Space 06/25 - Winooski, VT @ The Monkey House 06/26 - Buffalo, NY @ Big Orbit's Soundlab 06/27 - Hamden, CT @ The Space 07/09 - New York, NY @ Pier 17 # 07/10 - Ottawa, ON @ Cisco Systems Bluesfest 07/13 - Cambridge, MA @ TT The Bear's Place ^* 07/14 - Northhampton, MA @ Iron Horse Music Hall ^* 07/15 - Toronto, ON @ El Mocambo ^* 07/16 - Ann Arbor, MI @ The Blind Big ^* 07/17 - Chicago, IL @ Pitchfork Music Festival ^ 07/17 - Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall ^* 07/19 - Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon ^* 07/20 - St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club ^* 07/21 - Fargo, ND @The Aquarium 07/23 - Seattle, WA @ Capitol Hill Block Party 07/24 - Vancouver, BC @ The Biltmore Cabaret ^ 07/25 - Portland, OR @ Doug Fir ^ 07/26 - San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop ^ 07/27 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo ^ 07/29 - Denver, CO @ Hi Dive ^ 07/30 - Lawrence, KS @ Replay Lounge ^ 07/31 - St. Louis, MO @ The Luminary Center for the Arts ^ 08/02 - Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop ^ 08/06 - Berlin, Germany @ Festaal Kreuzberg 08/08- Katowice, Poland @ OFF Festival 08/06 - Berlin, Germany @ Festaal Kreuzberg 08/08 - Katowice, Poland @ OFF Festival 08/10 - Copenhagen, Denmark @ Vega - w/ Oh No Ono 08/11 - Oslo, Norway @ Blaa (Oya Club Night) 08/12 - Gothenburg, Sweden @ Way Out West 08/13 - Arhus, Denmark @ Musickaffen - w/ Sleepy Sun 08/14 - Haldern, Germany @ Haldern Pop 08/15 - Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Melweg - w/ Sleepy Sun 08/16 - Dresden, Germany @ Beatpol 08/18 - Frankfurt, Germany @ Ponyhof 08/21 - London, UK @ X0Y0 08/22 - Powys, UK @ Green Man Festival 08/23 - Edinburgh, UK @ Capital - Fringe Festival 08/24 - Belfast, Ireland @ Speakeasy 08/25 - Dublin, Ireland @ Crawdaddy's 08/26 - Leeds, UK @ Leeds Festival 09/07 - Nashville, TN @ Cannery Ballroom % 09/08 - Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade (Heaven Room) % 09/09 - Orlando, FL @ Club at Firestone % 09/11 - Raleigh, NC @ Hopscotch Music Festival 09/12 - Washington, DC @ Rock and Roll Hotel 09/29 - Ithaca, NY @ Castaways ^ 09/30 - Montreal, QC @ Pop Montreal ^ 10/09 - Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits
# with Zola Jesus ^ with Twin Sister * Mountain Man % with Crystal Castles
It’s eight o’clock sharp, on the slightly humid night of Wednesday, June 23rd. I am the fourth person in line at Daniel Street. So as not to be presumptive, I ask the bouncer if he has a guestlist, instead of just telling him that I should be on the guestlist. Shrewd move on my part – he is guestlistless. However my contact comes immediately to the door, and all is well.
Once inside, a lone woman onstage is tuning a left-handed guitar. The music playing over the sound system reads like one of my high school mix CDs: Pavement, Radiohead, Sonic Youth, Gang of Four. I reminisce a bit and get settled into the seat that, barring a few chats with friends and closer looks at the bands onstage, I will be parked in for the rest of the night.
When the opening band’s members take to the stage, it turns out that the woman from earlier is the guitarist and lead singer of the New Haven three piece outfit EULA. The first sounds consist of errant drum hits, bass runs, and slow, deliberate guitar strums. This free rhythm of sounds seamlessly morphs into the band’s first song where distorted, picked bass guitar is prominent. Throughout the set the drummer and bassist are very busy with their respective instruments, creating a propulsive sound punctuated here and there by staccato rhythms that the guitarist joins in on. Conventional chords seem to be avoided by the guitarist, who often uses voicings that include open strings. The klieg lights blink idly in the background. Between songs the lead singer addresses the audience but avoids eye contact with the crowd. There are seven brave souls who have elected to stand up close to the stage, some with arms crossed, most nodding stiffly to the music. The band has a nervous energy, but is tight and competent.
After EULA's set, I comment to a friend that they have a good live sound. No frills. But unlike the other two bands, I have not listened to EULA on record. Maybe they, like the other bands with whom they’re billed, have a reverb-saturated sound on record or use other types of studio trickery to find a distinct sound, and from only listening to them on record perhaps I would have gotten a different sense of the band. It is this studio recording / live performance dichotomy that has me interested to hear the next two bands because both of their sounds depend heavily on effects. How would the bands choose to adapt their sound to a live performance? The next band, Wild Nothing, is outfitted with shiny new Fender guitars, including a fire engine red Jaguar bass, a style of Fender guitar that along with the Jazzmaster, first gained popularity in alternative rock circles because they were a favorite of Elvis Costello, who incidentally started playing over the PA as soon as Wild Nothing’s set was finished. My previous thoughts on the transition from recording to performing are quickly proven to be naïve. Effects that are used in the studio are easily reproduced onstage - the lead singer simply asks for some reverb on the mic, and there’s that characteristic sound. The plaintive vocals and the shimmering harmonics of the arpeggiated suspended chords contribute to the band’s bittersweet, ethereal sound. About halfway through the set the band’s half scale Roland synth gets some attention from the second guitarist. After each song the guitarists take time to alternately retune or change tunings. There is about double the number of people standing up close to the stage during this set. The Depreciation Guild sets up their gear while I’m outside, and when I hear obvious mic checks I make my way in to watch the last band of the night. Like EULA the band's tune ups become the first song, which uses guitar atmospherics and long note vocals, conjuring a sonic landscape firmly in step with My Bloody Valentine, Low, etc. The second song starts with an e-bow swell from the second guitarist, then the wall of guitars comes in. Then the chiptune elements pop up, which is more prominent in the band’s older material. 8-bit major scale keyboard parts always make me think of baroque classical music. I wonder to myself if the band’s name is truly inspired by those institutions (Guilds) popular during the period, or if it’s just coincidence. After each song the band takes time to adjust their tunings or to add capos to the necks of their guitars. However, they sustain a nice white noise during the breaks that gives continuity to the whole set. Towards the end a slower, quieter number starts off with what I’m pretty sure is the same major seventh chord from the Cocteau Twin’s classic “Heaven or Las Vegas”. Sweet.
If there is a theme to this evening’s show it is understatement. Instrumental prowess is on display by all the bands, but it takes second stage to songcraft and the cultivation of a mood. Synth pop is the way I heard Wild Nothing described before seeing them live, but the synth onstage was used sparingly. The chiptune elements of the Depreciation Guild’s sound were subdued as well. Is it a tasteful use of technology that if used too much would only diminish the mood the bands were going for? Are they elements of a band’s sound that make them unique and simply were not used enough? You decide.
One of the most important and popular hardcore bands in the history of our fair state, With Honor, will play their first Connecticut show in over a year and a half tomorrow at the Wallingford Hungarian Club. The band plays a frantic brand of hardcore punk that will inevitably produce a barrage of stage dives and sing a longs.
If one huge hardcore reunion isn't enough, support comes from Ambitions, who broke up around two years ago. The band is releasing a brand new 7 inch of their melodic hardcore in late summer and decided to play a few shows to support it.
Other support comes from Connecticut favorites, Hostage Calm who are using this show as a tour kick off for their summer long trek across the country. Reignition from Pennsylvania and Tabernackle from Rhode Island are opening the show.
New England DIY Fest 2 went down earlier this month. For anyone that didn't get to go, get a taste of what was missed at Lil Tommy J's on Friday, courtesy of Connecticut DIY.
Downtown Milford was bustling on the gorgeous evening of June 18th; sidewalks and restaurant patios were filled with people enjoying the sunshine in what few hours of the evening remained. The most exciting thing going on in Milford that night however, was actually taking place indoors, where Ted Leo and the Pharmacists and Screaming Females were performing at Daniel Street.
The show began with Screaming Females, a three-piece outfit from New Brunswick, New Jersey who play a mix of punk and rock’n’roll. Though the members of the band look as though they are barely out of high school, all three proved to be extremely talented at their instruments; the bassist and drummer provided driving and catchy riffs/beats while front woman Marissa supplied one amazing guitar solo after another while topping off their songs with impressively strong vocals. While her short stature and mop of brown hair covering her eyes may give her a somewhat timid appearance, she is not afraid to scream, and scream often. Screaming Females’ entire set was fast-paced, with only a short introduction by Marissa a few songs into the performance to say, “Hi, we’re Screaming Females, I have to tune my guitar,” and after quickly hitting one string, the band resumed playing. Screaming Females definitely left the audience blown away and wanting more, and despite recent van troubles, they certainly did not let that affect the mood of the concert.
After a quick set-up and sound check, headliners Ted Leo and the Pharmacists abruptly opened their set with “The Mighty Sparrow,” the first track off of their newest album The Brutalist Bricks, released earlier this year on Matador Records. The night was filled with good tunes and interesting stage banter, as Ted Leo and his band mates discussed where the word “soccer” comes from, poked jokes at each other, and addressed the idea of being called a “sell-out,” with frequent interjections from members of the audience. The band played several songs off of their new album, including “Even Heroes Have to Die,” “One Polaroid a Day,” and “Bottled Up in Cork,” which Ted announced they recently made a music video for, mixed in with older fan-favorites such as “Where Have All the Rude Boys Gone” and “Counting Down the Hours.” There wasn’t much motion going on in the audience aside from several bobbing heads and a few guys in the middle of the crowd dancing, likely a result of the band’s music being on the more mellow side of the punk rock spectrum, but that doesn’t mean people weren’t into the show; a quick look around the venue showed that virtually everyone in the building was singing along, whether they only knew a couple verses or they had every word to every song memorized. After playing for well over an hour, Ted returned to the stage for a much-desired encore, playing three songs solo before the rest of the band joined him partway through the fourth, and then dedicated their last song to the members of Screaming Females. The concert ended promptly around ten-o-clock, and though it was still early for a summer Friday night, the show appeared to have left everyone satisfied.
RAIN LOCATION: BruCafe (right next to Pitkin Plaza @ 141 Orange St)
7-10PM All Ages - FREE
A Paper Tugboat: "Like Social Distortion doped up on morphine..." - Hartford Advocate
From the time The Cavemen Go first emerged as a duo (singer/guitarist Jeremy Sage and drummer Bob Rock) in 2003, the band was markedly distinct from their Connecticut peers. Sage’s songwriting channels the no-frills, hook-heavy sounds of early rock’n'roll without coming off as self-consciously retro. His lyrics and singing convey an unabashedly-hopeful romanticism, but the kind tempered with dry wit and emotional ambiguity. - February Records
The Weird Beards thrive in the Land of Crazyness that is New London, Connecticut with a BARITONE UKULELE, ACOUSTIC GUITAR, STAND-UP BASS, DRUMS and TROMBONE with occasional harmonicas, djembe, electric guitar, puppets, roboshades, robots, plaid pants, a rude blue dude, arreakas and a wheel on an upside down bicycle.
This Friday, MV & EE will be playing at Popeye's Garage in New Haven. This is mindblowing for a number of reasons and I can't really elaborate about it because there are simply no words.
MV & EE are Matthew Valentine and Erika Elder from Burlington, VT. They describe themselves as "lunar raga," which is very fitting. Their rambling, reverb drenched vocals are accompanied by sweet droning guitars, spacey slide guitar, and occasionally other musicians like The Bummer Road, The Golden Road, or The Canada Goose Band. The whole thing is pretty haunting and messy, psychedelic 70s folk at it's best and worst. They've collaborated with numerous guests, and released tons of albums over the years, including the fantastic Green Blues. Their 2007 album Gettin' Gone is a classic as well, which sees them playing primal Crazy Horse styled grunge rock. They recently released Their new one, Barn Nova, on the excellent Ecstatic Peace label.
Also playing with them are The Mountain Movers and The Book Slave, who are both excellent in their own right. The Mountain Movers are from New Haven, and are fantastic. Panos wrote a great review of their latest album The Day Calls Out For Youright here. They don't play out very often, so don't miss your chance to see them. Also playing is The Book Slave, who you probably already know and love. They're completely dissonant guitar players, experimenting with mixing clashing notes and hardcore.
