Freya, The Gates of Ivory, Cadaversphere, Foodforcrows

Monday, November 29 2010, Manic Productions presents

Location:
Daniel Street
21 Daniel Street
Milford, CT

7:00pm - 21+ - $10

Buy tickets now or pick them up at Redscroll Records

Bios from Manic's page

Back with a vengeance, Freya returns with the powerful release of All Hail The End. Ferocious sound opens the door to a much darker and complex side of this metal institution which features the charismatic and highly-regarded Earth Crisis frontman, Karl Buechner. Freya is no stranger to the masses. In 2003, the band released As The Last Light Drains, an album blending melody and crushing heaviness. They were interviewed on Headbangers Ball and their video to the title track single was in rotation for months. They also released a split recording with label mates The Hoods in 2004. An inspired Peta2 made a video for the anti vivisection anthem from the release entitled "Struggle To Survive" which was featured on their Save 99 DVD compilation, introducing them to over 100,000 fans. Victory Records




The Gates of Ivory:
In a modern music scene obsessed with trivial heaviness and oversaturated with songs that lack meaning and genuine emotion, The Gates of Ivory, a two-member progressive metal band from Milford, Connecticut, strives to deviate from the norm. Known for their energetic live performances fueled by sporadic bursts of anger and anguish, during which an innocent bystander may get screamed at or hit by a swinging guitar, the band is meant to be experienced rather than simply heard. Guitarist Joe Bebon and drummer A.J. Shufelt, long-time friends, write personal, chaotic, technical metal that is both heavy and melodic, as well as relatable and unusual.



Cadaversphere was formed in New London, CT in 2005. This Connecticut based death metal outfit emphasizes pure unfiltered brutality. Despite a few line-up changes and a 2 year hiatus they are back and better than ever. The current line-up consists of Joe Doto (ex-Excoriate, ex-Blind Hatred, ex-Murderfist) - lead guitar, Jules Junget(ex-Age of Deception) - rhythym guitar, Justin Sansone (Age of Deception) - bass, Rob Sickinger (Age of Deception) - drums, Josh Diekmann (ex-Murderfist) - vocals. Cadaversphere's mission is to combine death metal styles from across the board with a straight forward balls to the wall approach. Amalgamating sounds that vary from 80's and early 90's bands such as Napalm Death, Suffocation and Morbid Angel to more modern European sounds akin to Blood Red Throne, Aborted and Zyklon. Anyway you want to look at it, one thing is for certain, if you have a taste for the extreme, Cadaversphere will more than satisfy.

Blurring the thickening lines that divide categories of music, Foodforcrows is an instrumental 3-piece heavy, melodic metal/rock band from Milford, CT; a new, fresh start for the trio of musicians. They are insistent upon creating space for listeners, and then collapsing the space around them with crushing grooves and triumphant hooks. With influences include Deftones, Meshuggah, Candiria, Opeth, Cave In, Foodforcrows keep the guitars large yet spacey, the bass textural and massive, and drums tight and explosive. Listeners have often been told they've been entranced by the sound, of which can only be heard live, as Foodforcrows is currently recording their debut album.

Championsound presents SOUND HALL featuring Michael Pigott of Masstropicas

Monday, November 29, 2010

Location:
Bru Cafe
141 Orange Street
New Haven CT

Free - 6:30 PM

FB event page: Click

press release:

SOUND HALL is a curated speaker and performance series, presented by Championsound, co-sponsored by the Public Humanities Initiative and the Ethnicity, Race, and Migration Program at Yale University. The SOUND HALL series gathers diverse audiences together in various public spaces throughout New Haven, with the aim of creating meaningful spaces for collective listening. This month’s installment of SOUND HALL will be hosted at BRU—a community oriented cafe that serves as a hub for New Haven's thriving cultural scenes. Guests are encouraged to arrive before SOUND HALL's 6:30 pm start time to enjoy the cafe's selections of premium coffees and baked goods.

The second SOUND HALL features Michael Pigott. Pigott is owner/operator of independent record label Masstropicas, dedicated to collecting and re-issuing little-known Peruvian cumbia records from the 1960s - 1970s, like the recently released Ranil's Jungle Party (2010). From the distributor: “For the uninitiated, Peruvian cumbia was to Peru as Tropicália was to Brazil--a 1960s-1970s popular music style that mixed traditional music with those of African and the West.” Limited vinyl copies of the Ranil's Jungle Party will be available at Detritus at Projects Storefronts, SOUND HALL’s exclusive retail partner. Pigott has been travelling to Peru to work with the original artists to re-master and license their music for re- issue and independent distribution to North American audiences. Pigott believes in the material and cultural value of vinyl and cassettes. The physical object of recorded music holds particular meaning for him. His has been an Americas-spanning effort to call attention to these musics and musicians who have never found, or have long lost, audiences beyond South America.

SOUND HALL proposes that music and sound collectors are also historians and that, to different degrees, we are all archivists. We collect music and sound in the forms of records, tapes, CDs, but also in different forms of personal memory and history. When we listen to a song, or a certain collection of sounds, we build particular stories around what we hear--about our pasts, our presents, and our futures. SOUND HALL is where we gather to listen to and examine some of those stories. Join us as we listen to and discuss the music and the complicated politics of cumbia's contemporary presence in North American markets.

SOUND HALL will be followed by Taco Party III, a multimedia dance party whose soundtrack is rare music through space and time. Pigott will be acting as guest selector for the event, which pairs rare music as chosen by the event's selectors locally-based selectors, Shaki Presents (of the now defunct Sundazed series at BAR), King Panos (Kings), and Stefan Christensen (Estrogen Highs, Iron Hand, Popeye's Garage). Tacos will be provided by Caseus New Haven.

TACO PARTY III with M.Pigott of MASSTROPICAS

Monday, November 29, 2010

Location:
Partners Café
365 Crown Street
New Haven, CT

Free - 21+ to taco

TACO PARTY is a multi-media exhibition whose soundtrack is rare music through space and time.

Music will be curated for TACO PARTY III by Guest Selector M.Pigott of MASSTROPICAS

SOUNDS by
King Panos (Kings)
Stefan Christensen (Estrogen Highs, Popeye’s Garage)

ORIGINAL VIDEO COLLAGES by
Jimi Patterson & Emmy Pickett

MENU: TACOS by Caseus

LINKS: http://www.tacozone.net/
www.twitter.com/tacozone



Tacos are forever.

Skeletonwitch, Withered, Landmine Marathon, Ipsissimus

Sunday, November 28, 2010, Manic Productions presents

Location:
Lilly's Pad (Toad's Place Upstairs)
300 York Street
New Haven, CT

7:00pm - All Ages - $12

Buy tickets now or pick them up at Redscroll Records

North American Skullsplitter Tour 2010 dates

Bios from Manic's page

Skeletonwitch:
The drought is over. After years in the wilderness, homegrown heavy metal has finally returned. No longer the domain solely of our European forefathers, metal pure in both delivery and creativity is gaining momentum at breakneck speed in the Western Hemisphere. Leading the charge domestically are Ohio’s sons of Midwestern darkness SKELETONWITCH, who have emerged as forerunners of this new American sound. The ‘WITCH’s mighty sonic fortress is an amalgamation of classic Bay Area thrash, Scandinavian death/black metal and NWOBHM. Upping the ante from their Prosthetic debut, Beyond the Permafrost, these five gnarly longhairs show no mercy and take no prisoners on their new long-player, Breathing the Fire. Prosthetic Records



Withered, formed in 2003, exists to explore the darker aspects of human existence and deliver it to the masses while exemplifying unbridled truths about human nature. From the exploration of coping with tragedy to theoretical philosophical approaches, WITHERED continues to push their boundaries of perception into a realm of solitude and raw introspective discovery. They have released two full length albums, Memento Mori (2005 - Lifeforce) and Folie Circulaire (2008 - Prosthetic), which have both been critically acclaimed and topped numerous year end and decade end lists. WITHERED mixes a blackened atmosphere with the weight of doom metal & old school Scandinavian death metal to culminate a unique blend of extreme styles and expression. Their third full length is due late 2010 for another testament to their ever growing edification of what truly lies within the human animal and how culture & society have greatly compromised humanity’s potential to an extent of irreversible demise. Prosthetic Records



Landmine Marathon was founded in 2004 by bassist Matt Martinez, drummer Mike Pohlmeier and vocalist Grace Perry, the latter of whom periodically blogs for the website of Revolver magazine. Butler joined in 2006, soon after the release of the band’s debut album Wounded. The following year, the group released a praised split CD/LP with Scarecrow; in its review, All Music Guide wrote that “LANDMINE MARATHON’s three tracks have more good ideas than most bands’ albums.” In 2008, the group welcomed guitarist Dylan Thomas and returned to the studio to record Rusted Eyes Awake.Revolver called the album “a gnarling and gnashing blood-caked throwback to 1990, when Napalm Death couldn’t decide if they were going to be grindcore or death metal,” while Lambgoat praises the band’s “pure urgency and grit,” calling the release a blend of “the ferociously thick riffs of Bolt Thrower’s death metal (and) Napalm Death’s blistering grind mentality.” Prosthetic Records



Ipsissimus was founded when His Emissary (guitars) and Haimatokharmes (drums) met by providence on 6/6/06 in New Haven, CT, and found in one another worthy vessels of channeling the occult philosophies into ritual Black Metal.
In November of that year, Tichondrius (bass/vocals) completed the trinity. Within a month they were playing concerts and released the demo “Trampling the Host,” a potent exercise in raw, blasting Black Metal. Over the following years, they established a reputation across New England for technical yet raw live performances, sharing the stage with both local and established Black Metal groups, such as Nachtmystium, Enslaved, Dark Funeral, Krallice, and Watain. In February 2008, Ipsissimus independently released the “Three Secrets of Fatima” EP, Matching their music to orations of black piety that draw from esoteric traditions antique and modern, often composed in the dead tongues of the ancients themselves, Ipsissimus initiates the listener to a Left-Hand Gnosis with a unique and irrefutable statement of American Black Metal. Metal Blade Records

Ultrabunny Volume Merchants / Unsafe At Any Age

Too lazy to read this? Click here to listen to a robo-reading with clips from the LP underneath.

Volume Merchants / Unsafe At Any Age from Ultrabunny:

Volume Merchants sets this LP in motion. Four songs starting with Small War, a gurgle-drone of brooding robot frog talk with eerie alien sounds of flying saucers scanning for life. I swear I hear a sooty factory toiling way down in there, like the kind Henry walked home from in Eraserhead. It's too low to be sure. I might've imagined it. Medium War moves away into Confusion Is Sex tribalism. Which is fine, even though I could have melted into Small War for hours. Large War and My War finish off the last half, sometimes getting a tad tedious from some pedestrian rock patterns, but still wailing and pounding at a destructive pace. Once My War dives into a finale of feedback and wide flange, the mood comes close to returning to the shadowy Small War beginnings. The side is for sure at its best when building up to what's about to get torn down.

When I put this LP on for the first time, I started backwards with Unsafe At Any Age. I was folding laundry while thinking about the consumerist crank of black Friday. But I snapped out of this mundane bullshit pretty quick thanks to this record. This is my third listen now, and it's this side that I dig the most. The demented furor of the second song, Fight War, introduces helium high bellows which carry over into the manic march of Not Wars, with vocals at an equally perverse octave. All the guitar and bass no-wave clangor is a lovely boiling of urgent ideas and immediate impulses. But the absolute brilliance of Hot War takes the cake. It is almost five minutes of laughter on the brink of tears, the maddening cackle of people that have lost their minds. The loop carrying this bedlam is like the inner groove of a shattered 45 spun in slo-mo. A ghost of a siren signals, but is unheard, engulfed by endless cracking-up. Not War pulls you out of this with tones modulated into what feels like an exit sign blinking into being in the middle of a black hole.

A great record all around. The moodier parts reminded me of Religious Knives, but I admit I wanted something a little more from a few sections of Volume Merchants. Nothing as savage as say Sword Heaven, even though the thought crossed my mind. All of the LP was recorded live on location by Malcolm Tent on various dates throughout January of 2010 at a slew of spots, from NY, NJ, to here at home. This is all improv that was then "stitched" together at Salon TPOS, and based on the dates of the performances listed, I think the assemblage is completely anachronistic. "Each side of this LP is a suite, meant to be enjoyed as a whole" reads the back, along with a recommendation to take a break between sides. Because these guys are on the older side, they have way more living and listening under their collective belts. So the experience this LP offers is focused and intense but with plenty of room for your own twisted sense of what they're getting at.

Volume Merchants / Unsafe At Any Age is on limited edition black vinyl, 300 copies $8, or 14 copies with individual cover art $10 from TPOS Records.

Cruel Hand, Backtrack, Hate Your Guts

Saturday, November 27, 2010, Manic Productions presents

Location
Lilly's Pad (Toad's Place Upstairs)
300 York Street
New Haven, CT

6:00pm - All Ages - $8

Buy tickets now or pick them up at Redscroll Records

Bios from Manic's page:

Cruel Hand is a hardcore band from Portland, Maine drawing influences from the Cro-Mags, early Metallica and Madball. Their debut album, Without a Pulse, was released in 2007 on 6131 Records. They played shows around the U.S. with Trash Talk, The Mongoloids and more, hitting the United States three times and undertaking a full European tour. Next they signed to Bridge 9 Records and in 2008 released the Prying Eyes CD/LP, described on the Bridge 9 web site as “one of the hardest records of 2008, just as full of catchy metallic riffage as it is mosh parts.” Bridge 9



Backtrack is a LI hardcore band. Reaper Records



Hate Your Guts:
Reigning from New Haven, Connecticut, HATE YOUR GUTS do as promised. No warning, pure relentless good old fashion hardcore nihilism. Mass energy building-pissed off all-out attack. TOTAL WAR. Put on The Cro-Mags “Age Of Quarrel” record, a little Ringworm and some vintage Hatebreed in a trash bag alongside two baby wolf cubs, shake it up and there you have it. Pure East Coast HATE.
Eulogy Recordings

Linfinity, The End Of America, Eurisko

Friday, November 26, 2010, Manic Productions presents

Location
Cafe Nine
250 State Street
New Haven, CT

9:00pm - 21+ - $8

Buy tickets now or pick them up at Redscroll Records

Bios from Manic's page

Linfinity are a New York City based group of musicians who helped form a band around enigmatic front man Dylan Von Wagner, tackling everything from Southern Gothic tropes and rockabilly to beautiful, string-laden Moorish stomps and bombastic chamber pop. For fans of The Builders and Butchers, Murder By Death, Langhorne Slim, etc.



The End of America is a 3 piece folk band from New York City feat. James Downes of Call It Arson and Brendon Thomas of Foreverinmotion. In the past James Downes, Brendon Thomas, and Trevor Leonard discussed recording music in remote locations, where they could separate themselves from the buzz of computers and modern life. From these discussions came the concept of The End of America: to travel to the ends of the continent in search of musical inspiration and to write and record their songs there.



Eurisko is a 5-piece rock band from the greater New Haven/Waterbury area that recently formed in early 2010. Since their inception they have developed a sound soaked in whiskey, multi-layered guitar riffs, and creatively grim lyrics. Influenced primarily by folk and indie rock, Eurisko’s music spans from quickly paced melodic ballads to deep, creeping songs carrying shipments of woe; and has drawn comparisons to the music of Tom Waits, The Decemberists, Murder By Death, and Bright Eyes. The combination of three guitars, bass, and drums gives Eurisko the flexibility to take a wide-ranging and detailed approach to their song-writing, which are then given more dimension through the use of poetic lyrics and storytelling.




Linfinity dates:

Nov 27 The Monkey House Winooski, Vermont
Nov 28 Club Hell Providence, Rhode Isla
Nov 30 Maxwell’s Hoboken, New Jersey
Dec 1 BogiesAlbany, NY
Dec 2 Iron Horse Northampton, MA
Dec 3 The Chance Complex Poughkeepsie, New York
Dec 4 KUNG FU NECKTIE PHILADELPHIA, PA
Dec 5 The Main Event/main street cafe Toledo, Ohio
Dec 6 The Intersection Grand Rapids, MI
Dec 7 Beachland Ballroom Cleveland, Ohio
Dec 8 Schubas Chicago, Illinois
Dec 9 Brillobox Pittsburgh, PA
Dec 10 Empty Glass Charleston, West Virginia
Dec 11 Golden West Cafe Baltimore, MD
Dec 12 Red Palace Washington DC, Washington
Dec 13 Mercury Lounge New York, NY

Sgt. Scagnetti, Slackjaw Play Two Reunion Shows

Manic Productions in association with Asbestos Records presents

Friday, November 26 2010
The Space
295 Treadwell Street
Hamden, CT

6:30pm - All Ages - $12 ($20 for both shows)

Buy tickets for the All Ages performance at The Space or pick them up at Redscroll Records

Saturday, November 27 2010
Daniel Street
21 Daniel Street
Milford, CT

8:00pm - 21+ - $12 ($20 for both shows)

Buy tickets for the 21+ performace at Daniel Street or pick them up at Redscroll Records

Purchase Weekend Passes for BOTH SHOWS HERE or pick passes up at Redscroll Records

The Hartford Courant has a good write-up about these two shows. Click on over to read it.

Bios from Manic's page
Sgt. Scagnetti:
For the first time in a decade these former CT Ska-core giants reunite for 2 shows. Combining the quirky ska-core of bands like the Blue Meanies, with the frantic metal/circus rock of Mr. Bungle, Sgt Scag dominated the CT Ska scene of the late 90’s. Originally started as a pop ska band, the addition of front man Steve Lonergan led to the incarnation of the band that most were familiar with. With Steve at the helm the band’s music took a harder, more frantic turn employing lyrics filled with dysfunctional families, drug use and revenge fantasies, and with it the band rose to be one of the most popular underground bands in the state. The reunion will feature the “Just another Trick/DE:TO:NA:TE era lineup of the band, along with special appearances of some of the founding members of the band as well.



Slackjaw:
In an era of the CT music scene where every band seemed to be clamoring to ape Blink 182, or the Drive Thru band of the moment, Slackjaw seemed to be the lone Epitaph/FAT Wreck style band to garner any attention. Taking cues from bands such as Operation Ivy, Anti-Flag and NOFX, Slackjaw rose to arguably be one of the biggest pop punk bands ever in the state. As the bands influences broadened, the musical stylings eventually morphed the band into what eventually become the post hardcore band Kennesaw, after Slackjaw’s demise. This will be their first show in over 5 years.

The Step Kids with MT Bearington

Wednesday, November 23, 2010

Location
Cafe Nine
250 State Street
New Haven CT

$5 - 9:00PM - 21+

DJ BootyBeats of EULA is spinning.

from their myspace:
The Step Kids:
We crash landed on this planet in the middle of a shit storm in the year 2009 AD. It is an island that has more buildings than beaches. Our ship had been badly damaged by an unforeseen meteor shower, typical in a galaxy of this size. We lost a nitromat-synth accelerator in the crash, a true advent in the conversion of dark matter into molecular combinations of airborne chemicals. Luckily our secondary proton transformer was untouched by the collision and we managed to land without further injuring the ship or ourselves. Since that day, we assimilated into human form in an effort to acquire the precious metals we need to repair our ship.



M.T. Bearington:
Check out two tracks off Love Buttons:
Pictures
Here's Your Mood Ring, Honey

Blackout Weekend At Redscroll

Blackout Weekend At Redscroll

REDSCROLL RECORDS 4TH ANNUAL

BLACKOUT AT SUNRISE SALE

November 26th: 6AM-10PM

November 27th: 10AM-9PM

November 28th: 10AM-9PM

25% OFF EVERYTHING
$1 Bins Marked Down To 10 Cents

Santa

Surprises
Secrets
Spend $200 = Free T-Shirt
Free Snacks By Little Monster Cakes

Free Coffee

We're doing a new T-Shirt design that will be ready for this. If you want to see some examples of what Little Monster Cakes does click that link for their site. We'll also be dropping hints about secrets leading up to the event. If you are on Facebook you can also join the event page here.

And since we're really close I will tell you that there is a good possibility that CT Indie favorite, Iron Hand, is playing at the end of the night on Friday (along with a couple other bands).

Cupcake flavors include Sweet Potato, Pumpkin and Apple Amaretto Spice. Coffee is from Fuel, New Haven.

DJ Lokash (www.bassmentbeats.net), Anthony (the Needle Drop) and Brian (Iron Hand, Glue Machine, other things) are all slated to do DJ sets on Friday.

We're stoked on this. I hope you all are too. See you this weekend!

750 ml of Spirit New Sidewalk Dave vid

photo Jennifer Jane

New video from Sidewalk Dave:

Weekend, Young Prisms, Mammoth Hunter, Rat Color

Tuesday, November 23 2010, Manic Productions in association with The Needle Drop presents

Location:
Daniel Street
21 Daniel Street
Milford, CT

8:00pm - 21+ - $8

Buy tickets now or pick them up at Redscroll Records


From their press release:
Within a grainy film-still between a summer sunset and the end of times lies the post-punk squall of Weekend. Weekend filter the aggression, tempo and sneer of punk through a wall of reverb, haunting melody, feedback and primitive garage guitar. Formed in San Francisco in late 2009 by three childhood friends, the band have quickly developed a totally distinctive take on the history of post-punk noise rock. Some touchstones along the way include the chaotic psychedelic noise of groups like Skullflower and Terminal Cheesecake, the bad vibes power-drone of "Feed Me With Your Kiss"-era MBV and No Age, and the scything racket of post-No Wave noise bands Dustdevils and Sonic Youth.
Slumberland Records

Flower Booking bio
Young Prisms:
If ‘slacker’ means ‘purveyor of angst-ridden badass psychedelic rock,’ then the Young Prisms qualify. Five such slackers comprise this band: Jason Hendardy, Jordan Silbert, Matt Allen, Stef Hodapp, and Gio Betteo. Silbert is the old man, at twenty-four, and all five recently dropped out of various unsatisfying academic situations—Hendardy from a media arts program at California College of the Arts, Jordan from a behavior analysis master’s track in Fresno, and Stef, Matt, and Gio from a Bay Area community college.

What they did instead is they moved into a roach infested apartment in San Francisco’s Mission District and started pumping out dark, driving rhythms overlaid with melodies that pulse and build and then break over you. It’s some of the best stuff coming out of a city exploding with brilliant new music. The group’s lyrics are laced with a kind of nonchalance (I’m thinking of one song off the new LP called “If You Want To,” as in “whatevs”) that devolves quickly into a grim, passionate poetry part My Bloody Valentine, part Sonic Youth, part Charles Bukowski, part some kind of uncategorizable sparkly ecstasy. Whoa. Kanine Records



Mammoth Hunter: Often called a "post-rock" band due to their lack of vocals; New Britain, CT's Mammoth Hunter is a wall of volume and reverb that should appeal to fans of bands like Spacemen 3, and Sonic Youth, with a bit of classic rock/jam band influence for good measure. A new LP is in the works for early 2011. Hot Air Press

Rat Color: CT/NY spastic indie rock.

Mix of Locals at The New Haven Register

Check out the thankfulness here!

Thanks to Chris March for doing this.

Lug Me - New Titles Vid

Jaw-dropping brilliance by Titles from the Dirt Bell LP - Lug Me video:

Squinch Owl, Dr. Caterwaul's Cadre of Clairvoyant Claptraps, An Historic

Monday, November 22, 2010 yet another one at Popeye's Garage, now in "zombie form"

photograph by Andrzej Pilarczyk

Location:
Popeye's Garage
50 Goffe Street
New Haven, CT

7:30PM - $5

Adam Matlock dropped this info into the inbox:

There will be space heaters, but bring yer warm layers and yer booze and be repared to dance so we can all not die.

Squinch Owl is looking to make you feel better. She has a voice that, if you're not a robot, should make you cry or at least feel real nostalgic. She's got a new album for free download here: http://squinchowl.bandcamp.com/ but you should donate her money cuz this tour has been fraught with transmission problems so far.

Dr. Caterwaul's Cadre of Clairvoyant Claptraps is three errant, wrong-headed geezers (by comparison) who play odd assortments of folk/traditional music about murder and death. Cello, banjo and accordion makes the blues sound big and strange.

An Historic will probably play a couple of songs too.

There might be one more, TBA.

The Cavemen Go Release Show with The Field Recordings

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Location
Cafe Nine
250 State Street
New Haven CT

$5 - 9:00PM - 21+

The Cavemen Go is about to celebrate the release their February Records debut single Someone's Always Dying to Break My Heart at Cafe Nine this Saturday. After the release, free digital downloads of the single and it's B-side "Andrea" will be available through February Records for a limited time. Physical copies, which include a third bonus acoustic track, are now available for purchase through February Records and will also be available at the show.

More Cavemen dates:
Dec 13th, Cambridge, MA- The Middle East Upstairs
Jan 8th, Easthampton, MA- The Flywheel
Jan 14th, Brooklyn, NY- Trash Bar

The Field Recordings also have some new material. Check out the Elastic Nostalgia post here.

Loud Bands Go Quiet at Paris In Plantsville - New Series from Arc Agency

Wednesday, November 24, 2010, The Arc Agency presents

Location:
Paris In Plantsville
15 West Main Street
Plantsville, CT (part of Southington)


6:00pm - All Ages (21+ to drink) - $8

Beer/wine will be provided for donations to the gallery - WILL CARD. Bring a non-perishable food item to be entered into a raffle (the next day is Thanksgiving!!) to help the less fortunate. Details on raffle prizes TBA. Some prizes include shirts donated by the gallery and select merch donated by the bands. Raffle to be held at the end of the show.

Please don't drink underage at the place, it would shut down the place.

Parking is available at the Wachovia Bank across the street, and there's a lot next to the place by a couple antique shops and the bike trail. There is limited street parking.

Lineup:
Transit (Run For Cover Records)
Into It Over It (No Sleep Records)
New Years Revolution
A Paper Tugboat

Paris In Plantsville is a new art gallery that is show friendly. But this space calls for a more intimate setting and happens to be only a little bigger than your typical basement. In the interests of the artists and keeping their works safe, loud punk shows wouldn't really work. And not to knock them, but the folk scene on the other extreme has their fair share of places to play. So in comes Chris Szczerba with the idea of challenging punk bands to play after stripping them of their volume.

He explains where the idea came from: "One notable event at PIP included an acoustic set by Dylan Rau of Bear Hands," says Chris, "I've also seen sites have bands sort of record exclusive acoustic versions of songs - most of which are filmed. I thought both of those were pretty cool. That is when I came up with the idea to get bands that don't normally play acoustic and have them come out and do an acoustic set at this place, sort of as a one-time or rare thing." And, of course, Chris plans to film these events.

Chris Szczerba stared Central Booking around two years ago hoping to add fuel to the music scene. "I've booked anywhere from gas station garages, to The Space, to basements, to churches, Heirloom Arts Theatre, art galleries and a few others." Jay Hricko joined Chris, along with a few others, which led to them wanting to grow beyond their area, so they changed their name to The Arc Agency. But, as life would have it, "we barely booked shows within central Connecticut when [we called ourselves Central Booking] and now after the change, all our shows have been in the [Southington] area." Eh, fuck it. Jay Hricko goes to the Hartt School for Jazz, Chris is at CCSU as a Business major. They split the workload, including "talking to the bands and venues, taking care of promo (whether it be flyering, online/press, etc), design (flyers, web/coding, etc), managing the shows day of, and whatever else comes up. Jay does some of the talking to bands/venues, promotion, and management of the shows."

Chris defines the new name pretty clearly: "I use the definition, "Arc- /ärk/ (n)- A continuous progression or line of development," to describe the meaning because I feel like we are working on doing our part to help continuously improve the CT music scene and also, this basically describes our progression as a booking agency- always improving and learning/developing upon ourselves."

Paris In Plantsville suits their style. The space "is a brand new gallery set to support and showcase the fine artist. As the brainchild of Sean Michanczyk along with other Hartford Art School Alumni, this gallery is set to become a tour-de-force in supporting modern and contemporary fine arts."

And why not put punk bands in a challenging context to see what happens? I was telling Chris how I can't help but think of that set Nirvana did on MTV Unplugged. It really didn't matter if you read Maximum Rock'n'Roll or Rolling Stone back then - from the covers they played that exposed kids to bands like The Vaselines or The Meat Puppets, to just the shear brilliance of challenging them to play in that context - it led to a moment that is nowadays essentially regarded as historic. In fact, today is the 17 year anniversary of that recording, which happened on November 18, 1993.

"All in all, we are heading in the right direction. I want to see where this takes me" says Chris. By the sounds of it, I think he'll be lead to some great times and genuine success.

Skeletonbreath and Atrina at Cafe 9

Thursday, Nov 18th at Cafe 9, Safety Meeting Records is bringing us a face-melting night with two intense bands.

Skeletonbreath is coming back to New Haven, bringing their unique Eastern European influenced instrumentals with them. Chances are you've probably seen them before and if you have there's no reason you wouldn't be back. For those of you who haven't experienced Skeletonbreath firsthand, you're missing out big time! It's kind of an unparalleled experience.

Long-time site favorites Atrina are the opener. One of the first things ever written for our site was actually an interview with Atrina's Kelly L'Hereux! In case you missed it, catch up right here: CLICK. Their songs are heavy and jazzy, with almost a classic rock vibe, but the songs are always beautiful. They're a long-time staple of the local CT scene and features members of a lot of different local bands. Be sure to catch them live.

Cafe 9
Thurs, Nov. 18th
9pm, $5 cover

One Off Show at Popeye's with Tyvek, Terrible Twos and Estrogen Highs!

Friday, November 19, 2010:

Location:
Popeye's Garage
50 Goffe Street
New Haven, CT

7PM - $5 - 21+ to chug $2 beers

Check out these two great tracks from Tyvek:

Tyvek – “Underwater To”Download

Nothing Fits is out via In The Red. Here’s that opener, “4312.” (“I2XU,” etc.)

Tyvek – “4312″Download

Tyvek (In the Red / Siltbreeze Records)

Terrible Twos (X! Records)

Estrogen Highs (New Haven)

I complained once when I missed Tyvek back in March of this year that they wouldn't be coming around to CT again anytime soon. As usual I was wrong. But, also as is usual, I am stuck at home this Friday night. Anyhow, this is a quick one off at Popeye's. There might be some more, there might not be. Enjoy the show you bastards.

Oh, E Highs will be putting out a new LP and going on a US tour through January 2011. The kick off show will be on December 18 at Cafe Nine!
Estrogen Highs shows:
Nov 19 Popeyes Garage w/ Tyvek and Terrible Twos
Nov 27 Death by Audio w/ Circle Pit Brooklyn, NY
Dec 18 Cafe Nine RECORD RELEASE / FAREWELL FOR TOUR SHOW New Haven, CT
Jan 1 US TOUR 1/1 - 1/29 CITIES/VENUES TBA all over the USofA

Bleak November - Dark Sounds Invade Redscroll This Friday (November 19)

The Bleak November Micro-Tour
Starts At Redscroll Records

November 19, 2010 @ 7PM
$6 (Suggested Donation)

Redscroll Records

24 N. Colony Road, Wallingford, CT 06492

Authur & Punisher
Batillus
Theologian
Cowards
Work/Death
Master of Pussy
||The facebook event for the CT tour stop can be found here.||

Here's my one sentence break down act by act (by all means click their individual links above to learn/experience more):

This Friday a small tour of generally dark sounding acts are stopping in CT. Author & Punisher is a one man doom ambient metal project. Batillus is a full out doom ensemble (band) that just got signed to Seventh Rule Recordings. Theologian is the latest project from Leech of Navicon Torture Technologies - purveyor of a brand of power electronics he coined as power romance. Cowards is a two man outfit rising that builds and destroys rich dark atmospheres with an array of devices. Work/Death is an all out assault armed with a table full (over-packed really) of noise. And Master of Pussy is members of more bands than there are members, but with a sound bigger than them all (that doesn't really mean anything, but I'm leaving it).

The Nothing Under The Sun tumblr has a downloadable broadcast featuring 4 of these acts, check out the full post here or just listen right now:


More information over at the Redscroll Records blog.
And just in case you didn't know, we're having a sale (4th Annual Blackout At Sunrise Sale).
(Rick)

All The Trimmings Benefit @ Heirloom Arts Theatre, November 27th

'Tis the season for good times and giving, and there will be a whole lot of both going on Saturday, November 27th at Danbury's Heirloom Arts Theatre with the 'All The Trimmings' Benefit concert featuring The Stepkids (CT), Mother Brother (CT), Black Churches (MA), Diztrict Allstarz (CT), Ovlov (CT) and Vinyette (NY).

Organized by Matthew Vitti (of Mother Brother) and Amanda Bloom (of The Mercurial), the event had its beginnings this past July when Vitti and Bloom met following a house show and promptly merged minds in setting up "a monumental rock show." According to Vitti, "Amanda and I had similar ideas about the concept and nature of the event, so we worked fairly quickly and cooperatively finding the bands, finding the venue and forming the skeletal structure that would hold this party high and mighty above all else." The main 'nature' of the event that Vitti alludes to is the food and clothing drive that will be taking place along with the show. Benefiting will be the Dorothy Day Hospitality House which, since 1982, has fed and sheltered Danbury's homeless. In addition there will be a booth set up by the China Care Foundation, a Westport, CT. based non-profit dedicated to saving the lives of medically fragile orphaned children in China.



To spice up the good will, Vitti and Bloom have also put together a whole assortment of other activities and treats including a giant Twister competition, $1 plates of pizza and salad provided by Nico’s Pizza, an old-fashioned photo booth courtesy of Tin Sparrows (y'know, for documenting all those big smiles created by giving), and between-band sets by DJ Symetrex who will apparently be spinning faces off at the upstairs bar.



And how about those bands?? In addition to Vitti's own Mother Brother (often engaging, always shape-shifting synth/noise/jam quartet from Bridgeport), a whole stable of great bands will be performing including Black Churches (odd-timed guitar rock from MA. (with keyboards!)), Diztrict Allstarz (hip-hop with guitars from Danbury), Ovlov (solid alt-rock from Newtown) and Vinyette (alternately dream-rock/hard rock with elements of electronica and post-punk from NY.). Headlining will be CT's the Stepkids whose brand of synth-psych-soul (and recent signing to Stones Throw Records) has created a significant buzz around the band. If the potential acts of good will don't draw you to Heirloom Arts Theatre on Nov. 27th, the music should.

Truly living up to its name, All The Trimmings' equal parts of good cause, good fun and good music look to fit the spirit of the season quite well.

If When You Go:

Saturday, November 27th

The Mercurial and Mother Brother present
'All the Trimmings' Benefit
THE STEPKIDS (CT)
MOTHER BROTHER (CT)
BLACK CHURCHES (MA)
DIZTRICT ALLSTARZ (CT)
OVLOV (CT)
VINYETTE (NY)

@ Heirloom Arts Theatre
8pm / All-Ages
$10 ($1 off w/food donation!)

Call It Heavy Dance Newwave or Geisha Fujiyama Rock, Bo-Peep's Hard Driving Sound Will Delight You

In a very general sense music is one of the best ways to break down cultural and language barriers. It's even better when said music in question isn't some lame world beat crap, but kick ass rock-n-roll. The women who comprise Japanese band Bo-Peep know all about this. Their hard driving sound which plays like the punkier, better side of grunge, may come from a different culture (ironically enough one that worships American music) and transcends the boundaries between East and West, with style and panache. It's the type of cultural exchange that those in the know can really get behind.
"You can dance to our songs, you can enjoy our songs, you can horseplay with our songs and you can release energy," the band said via e-mail.
But this is nothing new. Japan boasts a fine roster of hard rocking bands that have made an impact in the United States. There is the psychedelic sludge of Boris, along with the post-hardcore sound of Envy, the crazed gonzo garage metal of Electric Eel Shock and who can forget the raucous sounds of such bands as Guitar Wolf and Teengenerate.
You can definitely add Bo-Peep's name to the list of bands that have made a sonic impact in the States.
The band, which is comprised of Mika Yoshimura (guitar/vocals), Kaori Takebayashi (bass) and Ryoko Nakano (drums), formed ten years ago in Fukuoka via Tokyo. At the time, Mika and Ryoko were in a four piece band that broke up. They went looking for a female bass player and found one in Hime (who is now on leave) and the band was formed.
Since then, they've picked a new bass player in Takebayashi and recorded five albums. They've also toured the United States twice, making stops at the South By Southwest music fest in Austin the last two years. They are looking forward to coming back.
"We've already toured two times. We loved the open expanses of land and the strong response from the audience," they said via e-mail.
This tour will take them to Daniel Street in Milford on November 17. Their mission behind touring internationally is quite simple.
"In Japan, there is a lot of exciting rock music that hasn't crossed over to the West. We want to be a band that can share exciting music with audiences all over the world," they said.
Though they sing in their native tongue, there is nothing lost in translation when they kick into songs such as "B-Level Motion", "Junction Guerilla" and "I Do My Best", where bounce around the stage with boundless energy, that is infectious, hitting the audience with their infectious and bombastic sound.
So, come on down and share in this ultra-cool cultural exchange. Bo-Peep guarantees a straight-up fun time.




Bobbie Peru will be releasing a split 7" with Kimono Draggin' on Spaynsive Productions in the upcoming months! (KD are also playing Saturday, November 13th at Cherry Street Station, Wallingford CT with Old Man Lady Luck, The Clearer, and Many Arms.)

About Bobbie Peru:
The harshness of the east U.S coast meets the gritty north west of the UK , there's no mercy going on here. Bobbie Peru are a genuine strength to be reckoned with. There are only 3 of them, but the brute force and elegant melodics weigh heavily on the heart and soul. The songs are driving and urgent, the messages harsh and sometimes sarcastic, giving hints of a cruel sense of humour buried within the assault. Their debut LP 'Social Suicide' was met with wide acclaim and has, at the time of writing, nearly sold out. Since its release the band have toured extensively to promote it, including support tours across Europe and the U.K with The Fall, Black Francis and Spear Of Destiny. As a result of all the gigs their sound has developed considerably over the last year and the newer material is much more raw and less fussy. It's almost punk, but too intelligent to be just painted as that. The live shows have gained them much respect, the band are engaging and attention demanding. Frontman and guitarist Bert is particularly menacing and unpredictable, whilst the rhythm section lay down a concrete slab of sound. ---words from Spaynsive Productions via Manic via wherever via your mom



Also playing: Noised out improv from CT Jerkagram and 2 Ton Bug


Bo-Peep Tour:

Friday, November 12 AS220, Providence, Rhode Island

Sunday, November 14: The Trash Bar, Brooklyn, New York

Monday, November 15th: Philadelphia Museum of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Tuesday, November 16th: O'briens Pub, Boston, Massachusetts

Wednesday, November 17th: Daniel Street Club, Milford, Connecticut

Thursday, November 18th: Arlene's Grocery, Manhattan, New York



Wednesday, November 17 2010, Manic Productions presents Bo-Peep, Bobbie Peru, Jerkagram, 2 Ton Bug

Location:
Daniel Street
21 Daniel Street
Milford, CT

8:00pm - 21+ - $8

Buy tickets now or pick them up at Redscroll Records

Show Review: Cymbals Eat Guitars, Great Caesar, Art Decade @ The Space

Words: Monica Lyons
Pics: John Kritzman Full set of photos here!

Click on the images to makes them larger!

On Saturday November 6th, 2010, a crowd gathered at the Space in Hamden to see Cymbals Eat Guitars, Great Caesar, and the Art Decade. However, this wasn’t just any other show, but an event put on Quinnipiac University’s student-run radio station, WQAQ, for its annual Music for Meals benefit concert. For a nice, feel-good change, admission was $5 or free with 2 canned goods, in which all proceeds went toward the Hamden Food Bank for the Thanksgiving Holiday. Past headliners for this event have included bands such as Patent Pending, Nightmare of You, and Bottle Up and Go.

I have to apologize because when I walked in, Great Caesar was already in full swing. I hope I didn’t miss an epic introduction. It didn’t take long to see that Great Caesar definitely puts out a vibe. During the performance, they were able to transform the Space from a casual Connecticut venue to a jazzy New York night club. With the help of a brilliant brass section complimented by the full bodied vocals of singer John-Michael Parker, Great Caesar produces vibrant and catchy melodies. Contemporary but with a classic touch, their music sounds like they incorporate the genres of ska, ragtime, jazz, and rock. Their sound is creative and original with all instrumentals flowing perfectly on tempo with each other. They got the crowd moving with songs such as “Everyone’s a VIP to Someone,” which tells of tragic love. Great Caesar was able put the spotlight on each instrument ranging from smooth guitar solos to blaring saxophones, bringing everyone’s talent in unison. They can appeal to many different musical tastes and still have their own personal style. Great Caesar played like professionals while having fun as members sang along to their songs and smiled upon the approving crowd.

Art Decade came next as its three members assembled on stage. They really blew away any typical 3 piece band expectations and illustrated their experimental and progressive genius. With intricate guitar solos and sweet sounding vocals, Ben Talmi used several effects to bring forth psychedelic sounds and creative echoes. All members showed personal style and an advanced sense of musicianship in their performance. Between beautiful harmonies, sophisticated drum beats, and flowing bass lines, I found the funk within Art Decade. It was refreshing how each song was different from the last, ranging from simultaneous chanting to powerfully charming songs such as “The Queen.” I found them timely and stylish. Talmi can really shred a guitar and he knows it, as he slammed his guitar face down to end the set. In February, Art Decade joined up with a full string quartet composed of classically trained string players from Berklee College of Music. I’m really bummed this wasn’t incorporated that night. Maybe next time.

With any mention of cool made on Pitchfork, indie hipsters are sure to gather. Whether this is true or not, a good amount of people did come to the Space to see Cymbals Eat Guitars that night, which was voted “Best New Music” by Pitchfork in 2009 and earned 8.3 out of 10 in their review. Cymbals Eat Guitars set up rather quickly and brought their energy loud and clear as front man Joseph “Ferocious” D'Agostino wailed into the microphone and slammed the strings of his guitar. Listening to a mix of songs from their 2009 album Why There are Mountains as well as music from their upcoming album in March, Cymbals Eat Guitars was incredibly captivating. Their music fixated the crowd with drifting instrumental intervals, experimental tones, and obscure solos, despite some brief, technical difficulties. Mr. Ferocious brings sentiment to his music by letting his emotions come freely, implementing a “take it or leave it” kind of stance. You can tell he puts his all into each performance while he jitters around and makes hard, chaotic strums on his guitar, all ending with a loose cough and readjustment of his capo. It was also hard to ignore the amount of sweat dripping off his face that formed a pool beneath him. Cymbals Eat Guitars exerts emotion and a genuinely passionate feel. My favorite song was the performance of “And the Hazy Sea” with its dynamic vocals and powerful instrumentals. Their music is something you feel; it’s in your face, influential, and relatable. They completely rocked the house. The confined area of what is the Space allowed Cymbals Eat Guitars, as well as Great Caesar and Art Decade, to really connect with their audience.

As for the benefit itself, the concert proved to be a great success. “I'm not sure how many individual cans were collected, but when we dropped the cans off at the Hamden Food Bank, there were enough to fill up two shopping carts,” said Mike Farrell, guitarist of Great Caesar and General Manager of WQAQ, “I think what surprised us the most was that, even though we only asked for two canned goods, many people showed up with bags of donations.” In addition to cans being donated, money received as cash admission that night was donated to the Food Bank as well. “We put on Music for Meals every fall at the Space, but this year we managed to get a little extra money in our budget to reach for a bigger headliner, and it totally paid off,” commented Farrell, “The entire night couldn't have gone better.”