Internet radio superstation sensation 990WBOB is getting ready to roll out the pink carpet for their 5^th annual BoobStock to raise money for those afflicted with breast cancer. To find out what to expect, I posed some questions to 990WBOB General Manager, Adam Palazio, who promises that this year will be “the craziest yet!” Of course with any great event that WBOB does, there’s bound to be a few surprises, as each BoobStock outdoes the one before.

 The best of Local Rock this October

MC:        So people have an idea how much has BoobStock grown, how much money have you raised since the first show five years ago?

AP:         Each year we have been able to donate to multiple charities thanks to the money raised at BoobStock, specifically focusing our contributions on the recovery of those women who have suffered from breast cancer. I am proud to say that over the years we’ve raised over $5,000 to help the fight.

MC:        Do you have any particular acts that you are extra stoked to see at this year’s BoobStock?

AP:         Truly I’m stoked for all the acts. This is a solid lineup. We are talking about one of the hottest bands going in Torn Shorts. The Stilts are a great complement in style with them. Then we’ll kick it up a notch with the much awaited return of SexCoffee, equipped with new drummer, the original maniac Nick “The Pipe” Iddon. Speaking of crazy people, no one has worked harder in this business than Satellites Fall. Their unique style has put them on big stages all over the east coast. Lastly, let’s not forget about the lovely and talented Kait Clavette playing an acoustic set.

MC:        What are some of your favorite performances from BoobStocks past?

AP:         We’ve made a ton of memories in the last five years with so many great acts and moments. If you had to narrow it down, certainly Kanerko last year in their final performance would be one. They left everything they had on that stage – truly unbelievable. BoobStock III aka 2011 was by far the most memorable all the way around. We truly kicked it up a notch with our introduction of the pink carpet and infamous BoobStock wall. Then again, BoobStock NYC last year was in its own category. To see a NY crowd and a pack of some 50-plus Providence friends in attendance was touching. On that particular night, The Can’t Nots killed it.

MC:        How many different programs are on 990WBOB now? What’s your listenership?

AP:         990WBOB offers a wide variety of programming. Of course our music department is thriving. Rob Duguay, Chad Hoyle, Bob Giusti and Joe Ferro are all well groomed in the music scene. Each host offers our listeners a plethora of underground bands and tracks. We also offer a solid sports department featuring such personalities as CES manager Michael Parente, three time Super Bowl Champ Patrick Pass, and WBOB superstar Kevin Aherne. Our talk department is anchored by the Wild Side David Clyde and his everyman shot from the hip point of view. Todd Giroux is Main Street’s voice on the air. All and all we offer some 14 plus shows with another two or three in development, including a new show titled Raw Sex. Use your imagination. We currently are in over 200,000 homes, businesses and mobile devices nationwide including over 80,000 local RI listeners.

990WBOB will once again roll out the pink carpet to present BoobStock V on October 26 at Dusk in Providence. This year’s BoobStock will be hosted by Terry Shea and Kim Kalunian and features performances by Torn Shorts, The Stilts, SexCoffee, Kait Clavette, and some of the best local comedians to boot!

Deer Tick –Negativity (Partisan Records)

When we last checked in with the boys from Deer Tick, they were a decadent globetrotting rock & roll party wherever they showed up. For the first time, the boys had captured the energy and chaos of their live performances with Divine Providence (Partisan Records) resulting in a great rock & roll record. But all great parties have to end, and once one is over the wrong side of the bump, it’s a new world that can get pretty bleak. Deer Tick are back with their fifth full length titled, Negativity. True to its name, Negativity explores themes of singer/guitarist John McCauley’s struggles dealing with drug abuse, a broken engagement, and his father’s incarceration. While the title is intended to be tongue in cheek, as it’s offset by the cover art of blue skies on a South County beach, there is no masking some of struggles within.

Negativity starts off with the hypnotic chant of “The Rock” before it kicks into blues-tinted soul jam complete with horns reminiscent of McCauley’s side project, Diamond Rugs. It probably doesn’t hurt as far the Diamond Rugs reference goes, that one of McCauley’s band mates, saxophonist Steve Berlin (Los Lobos), produced Negativity.  “Just Friends” is a piano based number that has a classic 70s pop feel in the vein of Jackson Browne or a Warren Zevon. To further explain the record’s title, even guitarist Ian O’Neil’s one turn on the mic this time around is a Springsteen-esque rocker called “The Dream Is in The Ditch.” “Mr. Sticks” is another McCauley number that fuses 70s pop with a darker alt-country feel wrestling with his father’s federal imprisonment. Ironically a number called “Trash” breathes a light of wistful optimism as McCauley sings “don’t want the drink, dry out in style, waste all my ink, checking out past noon, bill me if you want, it is my disposition as a wasteful savant, where is all the romance that I used to know, I want to fall in love again with the open road.” Drummer Dennis Ryan takes a turn behind the mic on the lushly textured “Thyme” that McCauley says has nothing to do with the spice by the same name. “In Our Time” is a duet with Vanessa Carlton that has an endearing old time feel that McCauley wrote about his parents. “Hey Doll” is a piano driven number that has a70s Elton John feel with a chorus ripe for lounge styled sing-a-longs. “Pot of Gold” has an In Utero-era Nirvana fuzz crunch as the lyrics chronicle a descent into a drug-fueled doom. Negativity closes with “Big House” that comes across as Paul Westerberg ballad likely about McCauley’s father.

Negativity takes some getting used to, but overall I really dig it. On an initial listen, it at feels like the band tried to re-create something that harkened back to their debut, War Elephant, a favorite among Tick Heads.  But upon repeated listens, Negativity comes across more as step forward for Deer Tick.  They may not be peppered with as many Replacements comparisons this time around, but the songwriting exceeds that on Divine Providence in many areas. It may not be a party album, but it’s not a downer, woe-is-me record. Negativity finds Deer Tick at their rawest – dealing with the highs and lows of life and wrestling demons in song.

For The Love of Sloane – Curses, Spells, and Charms

It’s hard to believe that Curses, Spells, and Charms is For The Love of Sloane’s debut release because it seems like lifetimes ago when they were runner-ups in the WBRU Rock Hunt Finals and Champions of the WXIN Rock Hunt back in 2009. Life has a funny way of getting in the way, as they say. For The Love of Sloane are pretty much a modern alternative rock band, which invites comparisons to other contemporary female fronted rock bands, like stranded somewhere along the highway between The Cranberries and Paramore. Singer Elese Morrone has her own style that I’ve always loved because there is an element of chaos in terms of how she employs the power of her pipes. Curses, Spells, and Charms lays out all the standards from the Sloane’s catalog like the uber infectious “Dig Deeper” that was their radio staple back in the day.  I found cuts like brooding “Chances” and “Girl on Fire” to be just as rewarding listens. The latter almost has an alt-rock reggae feel in the verses before the blast off outro.  “So What If..” is a tight rocker in the vein of a someone like Blink 182 with a good bridge to boot. The fuzz guitar wizardry of Stephen Moniz is an omnipresent pleasure to listen to throughout Curses, Spells, and Charms, but particularly on “Flora” and “Subtle Honesty (Dear John).”  Check out For The Love of Sloane’s debut on iTunes or better yet, pick up a physical copy for yourself at their CD Release show at The Spot!

For The Love of Sloane celebrates the release of Curses, Spells, and Charms with a CD Release Party featuring The Nymphidels, VulGarrity, Satellites Fall, and Subject 2 Change at The Spot Underground on October 4.

Atlantic Thrills – A Day at The Beach 7 Inch (Almost Ready Records)

Local garage rocking kings, Atlantic Thrills, have released their debut as a 7-inch single featuring two infectious ditties. The A-side cut, “A Day at The Beach,” showcases the mix of surf, 60s garage, and harmonies that have long been the Atlantic Thrills’ calling card. The B-side, “Hold Your Tongue,” is a raucous garage stomper. Atlantic Thrills are planning a longer release of material from this session sometime in the near future.

Atlantic Thrills will be rocking the Life’s Gas show at The Parlour in Providence along with Castle (The Band) Pixels, Vudu Sister and Tyler James Kelly (of The Silks) on October 6.

Big Shows:

The Met Cafe’s 3^rd Anniversary featuring March Fourth Marching Band and The Mallet Brothers

The Met Café is celebrating its third anniversary at its current location in the Hope Artiste Village in Pawtucket. For anyone who has yet to make it there, The Met Café is one of the best places to see a show that I’ve ever been. To top it all off, The Met is throwing a party with some great bands like March Fourth Marching Band, The Mallett Brothers from Maine, and locals Smith & Weeden to ring in the anniversary in style!

March Fourth Marching Band, The Mallett Brothers, and Smith & Weeden rock The Met Café on October 3.

The Lyres

The Lyres are Boston garage rock legends that trace their roots back to the 70s. The Lyres are best known for tunes like “Don’t Give It Up Now,” “Help You Ann,” and She Pays The Rent.”  In an ever changing world, one of the few things that doesn’t change is that The Lyres will continue to come at you with organ tinged classic 60s garage rock.

The Lyres play The Met Café on October 5.

They Might Be Giants

New York City’s original Kings of Nerd Swing, They Might Be Giants, return to Lupo’s for what has been becoming a pretty regular engagement the past few years. They Might Be Giants are one of those cult bands that some people love and some detest – so this is getting listed for all the lovers out there. They still do “Birdhouse in Your Soul” and “Ana Ng” live for the casual fans but the rest of the material is a broad mix, encompassing their whole career.

They Might Be Giants return to Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel on October 10.

The English Beat

The English Beat returns to bring their fusion of rock, ska and new wave to Manchester 65. Best known for their 80s hits like “Mirror in The Bathroom,” “Hands Off. She’s Mine,” and “Save It For Later,” The English Beat are still money for a good time on the dance floor live.

The English Beat will be at Manchester 65 on October 24.

Eve 6

Eve 6 ruled the modern rock charts in the late 90s/early 2000s with hits like “Inside Out,” “Leech,” and “Here’s to The Night.” After an extended hiatus, Eve 6 is with all original members and has released a comeback record in Speak in Codes that has the band, once again, making waves on the radio. Don’t miss a rare chance to catch Eve 6 locally at the Manchester 65!

Eve 6 will be at Manchester 65 in West Warwick on October 26.

Email music news to mclarkin33@gmail.com.