Author: Marc Clarkin

After a recent successful run at SXSW, Joe Fletcher returns to home to headline a night of great music at the Met Café. Since Fletcher took the leap to go for broke and follow his dream as professional troubadour, good things have followed.

Not only did his St. Louis Cardinals win another World Series, but his reputation has solidified making money for a draw. It used to be when you saw the Wrong Reasons, you never knew what you were going to get. One show might be reeling and a rocking, the next might be Fletcher solo or someone playing drums on something that didn’t amount more to a trash can. Part of this probably speaks to Fletcher’s love of Dylan idiosyncratic ways where every show is different. Now that the lineup of the Wrong Reasons has been solidified, the band has seasoned enough that they can pull off going up without a set list and seamlessly not just pull off, but kill it with their mix of country, roots, and rock ‘n’ roll. Recently the band has expanded into video age producing a couple of music videos off their most recent release, White Lighter. You can check them out online at www.joefletchermusic.com. The Wrong Reasons will be playing the Newport Folk Festival this summer but there is no reason to wait to late July to see them rock, they’ll be at the Met Café on April 13th. Get there early for the openers with WBRU Rock Hunt runner-ups Northern Lands and Portland ME’s The Mallet Brothers. I caught them both recently and have to say The Mallet Brothers are absolutely fantastic as far as revved up Americana/rock ‘n’ roll!
Joe Fletchers & The Wrong Reason, The Mallet Brothers, and Northern Lands rock Met Café on April 13th.

Last One Out

stormed the scene last year making it to the final of the WBRU Rock Hunt and this year they’re gunning for the WXIN Rock Hunt Crown. Last One Out aim to hit it big in 2012 starting with the release of their debut EP, Lover’s Trance. The first thoughts that come to mind after listening to Lover’s Trance is God damn it, this is one crystal clear professionally cut bucket of tunes. The downside is that it really to the point of excess where it comes off as wimpy and annoying. The phrase no balls popped up in conversation while listening this with new Alt-Nation correspondent, T-Rock who added that the popularity of music like this is why we’re still in Afghanistan. Personally, I’d look to American Idol before Last One Out as far as being the Novocain to the American psyche. Not surprisingly given the title, Lover’s Trance is a collection of love songs which there is certainly nothing wrong with. The Beatles did it and so hasn’t 90% of everyone else. It is all in how you do it. As far as an original pop alternative on Lover’s Trance, Last One Out has both hits and misses.
The EP opens with “Under the Red Lights,” which tells the tale of falling in love from Virginia and wistfully whining about “leaving her lying under red lights, I want to stay but I must take flight.” This could be cool… if you are Superman and literally fly away but it sounds more like a one night stand on vacation. Other than the guitar riff buildup to the chorus, the music is pretty generic with keyboards over the guitar. There is nothing wrong with doing pop, but if that’s what you are doing, throw in a catchy hook. “Under the Red Lights” has no such hook. “Something I’m Into” sounds like a cross between elevator music buttressed by some ska beats and licks. It’s just real tough to like a song that starts with the lyrics “I’d like to tell you something into but there is an issue, you might laugh at me… and thick rimmed glasses to help you see.” Not saying I don’t have moments of self doubt or jitters but come on, you might laugh at me? I have trouble believing whoever is writing the lyrics is even remotely funny. The lyrics improve if you get can past that opening with “I dig your tattoos, they really speak to me allowing to describe what is going on inside without letting a heart on your sleeve.” I’m going to assume this girl didn’t have tattoos on her arm because than this would make no sense and say I like this. I can relate to this because I start conversations with white girls that have tribal tattoos and Chinese letters about Native American reparations and Chinese oppression all the time.
The momentum of Lover’s Trance shifts dramatically with “Utopia for Two” which is an infectious pop ditty that explains the popularity of Last One Out. “Utopia for Two” follows the tried and true soft to loud backed formula by a big hook formula. Throw together some killer uses of the dramatic pause with a bridge that enhances the song and it doesn’t matter if the lyrics about “going to the banks of outer space” and “grabbing a hold of a shooting star” don’t make sense. They all sound good here in the context of the song. Last One Out continue the positive moment with “Lovin’ Tonight” using a bouncy danceable keyboards during the verse to lead into a chorus catching enough to remind me of something from the 80’s like The Outfield. While not as strong as the previous two tracks, “Threads of Sweet Nothing” and “Standing on a Giant” extends the run of alterna-pop positives to close out Lover’s Trance on a high note.
Something needs to be said about train wreck track sequencing here. Although I do get why the band chose to open with a kind aimless mid-tempo number given that the word trance is in the title of the EP, I would have never have made it to track three if I wasn’t reviewing this. When in reality after repeated listens, four of the 6 tunes highlight the safe modern day alternative stuff that Last One Out do best. Last One Out scored big in the first round of the WXIN Rock Hunt and likely will be in the finals whenever they are at Firehouse 13. In the meantime, you can check them out at the Met Café for the CD release of Lover’s Trance on April 7th.
Last One Out celebrates the release of Lover’s Trance with Les Racquet, Evil Animals, and Sunshine Riot rock the Met Cafe in Pawtucket on April 7th.

Small Factory

Local indie-pop legends Small Factory teleport to Met Cafe from the 90’s for their first performance in over 15 years in these parts. It was like the Make A Wish Foundation intervened when this show was announced for those of us who listened to lo-fi indie guitar rock with harmonies and were around in the early 90’s at those Babyhead shows, often with the likes of Velocity Girl. The truth is after a reunion show earlier this year in at a festival in Washington DC, this had to be inevitable. What band would do a reunion show and blow off their home town? Thank God, not Small Factory. As added bonus this show also sees the reunion of another local early 90’s titan in Flower Gang. I’m not sure how big they were because back then I was a novice at this but I remember seeing them and getting excited enough to buy a 7 inch which I still have. This became comical years later when I worked at a record store with bassist Jack Hanlon and was discussing music and couldn’t remember the band name other than it was Flower Something and Jack informed he was in the band. At that time the Amazing Royal Crowns were starting to blow up to the point that people were coming into the store and asking Jack to sign CDs. In hindsight it must have seemed weird for Jack going through while working with someone who would only ask him about Flower Gang and no matter how many times, he told me, I could never get the name right. That said, this is the must see event of the spring at the very least for indie guitar swing rock ‘n’ roll!
Small Factory, Honeybunch, Flower Gang return from the 90’s to rock the Met Café on April 14th.

General Assembly State of The Union: Part Deux

The first General Assembly State of The Union last December was successful representation of both the heavy rock ‘n’ roll and ever burgeoning Americana elements of the Providence music scene. It raised the bar pretty high but I think the General Assembly has topped itself with this bill. First off, I do not get to see the garage rocking’ thump of the Atlantic Thrills often enough! Hands down, Atlantic Thrills are easily in my top 5 of local bands bringing the noise today. Throw in Tower in The Fool who as much I wanted to initially hate upon for being a mid-tempo of Americana act. I couldn’t. Their songs are too good! The Famous Winters mine similar territory as Tower and The Fool but with a grittier early 70’s Stones backbone that blew me away on what had otherwise been a dark night a few weeks ago. Throw in the presence of the official Alt-Nation house band and king of noisy guitar over a high Watt bass thump, Six Star General, and son you have one Hell of a party!
General Assembly presents State of The Union II featuring Tower and The Fool, Olneyville Sound System, Atlantic Thrills, The Famous Winters, Prolyphic, Moga, Six Star General, Ravi Shavi, The Washingtons, DJ Nook, and Born Without Bones goes down Fete in Providence on lucky Friday the13th of April.

The Sawyer Family

Hailing from Eugene OR, The Sawyer Family deal it with a unique blend of stoner Americana thunder. They’ll start one song and you find yourself saying, ok they’re a punk band and then it will turn into something ghostly Americana without skipping a beat. They’ll do a surf guitar type on number and then without warning start throwing in some 70’s stoner rock to kick you in the teeth. It’s like if the members of someone like Slim Cessna’s Auto Club started a side project that was part Black Sabbath, part Black Flag. Let’s put it this way, I review a lot of stuff and it isn’t often that after listening to a band a few times that I want to go out and buy one of their albums immediately. I do with The Sawyer Family – this show is going to rule! As an added bonus you have Sasquatch and The Full Moon boys which I’m looking forward to checking out even bummed that I can no longer make jokes about how one in every three musicians was at one time was a Sick-A-Billy. Throw in some country-punk with Girl Haggard and a re-configured Tony Jones in the Cretin 3 (who I hear have been slaying as of late), and you have an rock ‘n’ roll overload that is going to blow up big time!
The Sawyer Family, King Sickabilly and The Full Moon Boys, Girl Haggard, and Tony Jones &

The Cretin 3 rock the Pvd Social Club on April 15th.
Email music news to mclarkin33@gmail.c

Local punks have joined forces to create a monthly event, called PVD Punk Night, with the first installment coming March 31 at PVD Social Club. Former Hell owner John ‘Cyco’ DiFruscio, Drunk Robb, Brass ‘N’ Ammo, Done Right, and American Pride among others are off to an awesome start.
This will be the type of night that punk rock dreams are made of. The 1980’s punk legends, Peter and The Test Tube Babies are on their first US tour in more than 10 years, which includes a stop at the PVD Social Club. Peter and The Test Tube Babies are known for blistering punk rock anthem like “Intensive Care,” “Run Like Hell,” and my personal favorite, “Banned From The Pubs.” I remember getting a punk compilation mixed tape with no song names in high school and “Banned From The Pubs” was the first song and just listening to that song and hitting rewind over and over. I didn’t actually find out until an embarrassing amount of years later that it was Peter and The Test Tube Babies and not The Exploited. Hey, there was no internet back then.
Sometimes it is hit or miss when the punk rock titans of the past come to town but Peter and The Test Tube Babies have enjoyed a solid reputation on the European festival circuit and look to be a sure bet. If that wasn’t enough throw in a second headliner in NYC hardcore legends, Murphy’s Law, and you got the punk rock show of the spring, possibly the year. There are solid local openers on the bill to with Reason to Fight and Oi! Division.
Peter and The Test Tube Babies, Murphy’s Law, Reason to Fight, Damages, Combat 49, and Oi! Division bring the punk rock to the Pvd Social Club March 31st. As an added treat Hank Sinatra Jr. will be doing his one of a kind multi-media karaoke rock between bands. The doors are at 7PM and the rock ‘n’ roll going all night.

Six Star ‘Splinter’

Six Star General returns with their 7th full length (8th overall) release, Splinter. This time around, the band got some help from friends like Kraig Jordan, Joe Traynor, Mark Cutler, and Bill Keough as well as increased vocals from drummer Dan Ulmschneider. On Splinter, Six Star General try out a few new things, like working in more keyboards and background vocals while still retaining their trademark bass thumping fuzz tone squall. Splinter opens with “Feeling Ungroovy,” which save for some occasional low backing vocals, continues their penchant for doing an increasing amount of instrumentals in recent years. All together, there are four instrumentals on Splinter with my favorites being the trippy “Triple EEE” that reminds me of Gish-era Smashing Pumpkins meets Caspar Brotzmann and the ’70s stoner rock infused “There’s No Steak in Cake.” The latter of which had been released previously with a different mix on last year’s These Woods Smell Like Grape EP (75orLessRecords). “Shave Your Beard into the Shape of a Smile” is probably the closest Six Star has ever come to writing a pop song. Complete with backing vocals and a sing-a-long melody, “Shave Your Beard into the Shape of a Smile” combines the pop instincts of ’90s lo-fi stalwarts like Guided By Voices and Sebadoh with lyrics I could picture someone like Hank Sinatra Jr. writing. “Nerve” sounds like a throwback to classic Six Star of old with a little cleaner production. I’ve never been a huge fan of instrumentals. So I was a little skeptical about Splinter given that over half the tracks are instrumentals but Six Star General pull it off thanks to guitarist Kyle Jackson’s arsenal of effects pedals.
Six Star General’s CD Release Party for Splinter with a show at The Apartment on March 16th with Galvanize and Deadlands. This is an early show running from 7-10PM with a low dough cover of only $3.

The Revival Tour

Chuck Ragan cut his teeth playing punk rock as the guitarist/vocalist for Hot Water Music. This may seem like an unlikely beginning for the founder of The Revival Tour, which is essentially a folk tour. The Revival Tour is different from your average run-of-the-mill tour because it emphasizes collaboration and openness between the musicians and the audience. Ragan described the inspiration for The Revival Tour saying: “At the end of most tours, I went on, everyone would end up on stage together anyway so I thought why not communicate more beforehand so we can share the old way collaboration onstage from the onset as the folks that came before us all did in the past?”
The first Revival Tour took place in 2008 and has continued since boosting an impressive list of guest musicians like Avail’s Tim Barry, Lucero’s Ben Nichols, 7 Seconds’s Kevin Seconds, Sparta’s Jim Ward, Audra Mae, Gaslight Anthem’s Brian Fallon, and many more. This current swing of the tour features Alkaline Trio’s Dan Adriano, Against Me’s Tom Gabel, and longtime Lucero collaborator Corey Branan. Each will perform a solo set but expect plenty of collaboration and there are rumors of surprise guests. Think about it, where else are you going to get to experience an intimate club show with sets by people from Hot Water Music, Alkaline Trio, and Against Me for under $20 bucks?
The Revival Tour recently had a sold out run of shows in Europe and Ragan is nothing but optimistic about the future for the tour. Ragan has says, “We are going to do everything in our power to keep this tour going for years to come because we believe in the music. We put our hearts, souls and energy into it and the ethics we live by aren’t going anywhere. We’re still going to be here regardless of whether there are a lot of folks coming to the shows or it goes back underground where the majority of us come from. In the meantime, we’ve been documenting and archiving as many of the shows, artists and show goers as possible. We all feel we’re sharing something special together and it’s crucial to us to capture as much of that as possible with film, interviews, live recordings or backstage, back of the bus or parking lot hootenannies.”
Fittingly enough, one of the sponsors of this show is the maker of some of the next great Rhode Island beers, Revival Brewing. Founded in 2010, brew master Sean Larkin’s suds are currently available in a number of places around town including Doherty’s East Ave Irish Pub, the Scurvy Dog, The Avery, Wild Colonial, and Dusk to name a few. For the Revival Tour, it is also rumored that Larkin will be debut a new beer that night at Fete. Having sampled a few of Revival’s beers, I highly recommend their Saison!
The General Assembly presents: The Revival Tour featuring Chuck Ragan (Hot Water Music), Dan Andriano (Alkaline Trio and In the Emergency Room), Tom Gabel (Against Me), Corey Branan (longtime collaborator with Lucero), as well as accompanied by Joe Ginsberg and Jon Gaunt hits the Fete Ballroom in Providence on March 29th. Tickets are $16 in advance at the Fete box office and $18 the day of the show. Doors are 8PM and the show will start at 9PM.

Odds & Sods:

This is a Movement, Montana Skies, Sayings, and Outlook Not Good hit The News Café in Pawtucket on March 15t h. The Mighty Good Boys, Northern Lands, and 6A Valley are at The Met Café on March 15th. Rapper J-Flamez has his CD release for his great new biscuit, Now or Never, on March 16th at Platforms Nightclub in Providence. Viral Sound and Off the Rez hit the Spot Underground on March 16th. Stephen Kellogg & The Sixers, Native Run, and Katrina are at The Met Café on March 16th. The Spot Underground hosts Captain Nick’s Party for St. Paddy’s Day with Dr. Westchesterson, Starforce Trio, and Original Jelly Roll Soul on March 17th. Moga, The Famous Winters, Ravi Shavi, and Alt-Nation favorites Reverend Bastien ring in St. Paddy’s Day at The Met Café on March 17th. Larcenist, Cactus Attack, and The Quahogs are at The Local 121 on March 23rd. The Meds from Newport have a CD Release show on March 23rd at the PVD Social Club with the diePods and Vertical Twin. Roz Raskin & The Rice Cakes, Kingston 5:30, Northern Lands, and Sic Vita face off for the WBRU Rock Hunt Throne at the Met Café on March 23rd. This will be an early show running from 7-10Pm. Coyote Kolb, Last Good Tooth, and Smith & Weeden are at The Local 121 on March 24th. My quasi-monthly DJ night – Daughters of Satan Christian Dance Party – returns to the Tap Room of Local 121 on Sunday March 25th. Never a cover and the music will begin around 10PM. Foxy Shazam come to the Met Café for a must see show on March 26th. Band of Skulls and We Are Augustines are at the Met Café on March 28th. The Throttles, Evil Streaks, Denver Boot, and Dog Day Afternoon will make for another killer “Thirsty Thursday” at KC’s Tap in Pawtucket on March 29th. Scarce makes a rare return to Providence at the Local 121 on March 31st. Kevin Costner may be a movie star but for years he’s moonlighted as a musician. This makes more sense than Steven Seagal’s moonlighting as a cop as far as curious Hollywood’s star hobbies. His band, Kevin Costner and the Modern West hit the Park Theatre in Cranston on April 7th. Advance ticket are going fast so go to www.ParkTheatreRI.com to reserve your tickets if this is your thing.
R.I.P. Davy Jones
Email music news to mclarkin33@gmail.com

The Continental bring it with straight forward infectious punk rock. Think of it this way, picture if the Dropkick Murphys of today were not a frat band and were actually… I don’t know, good. The Dropkick reference is escapable with original Dropkick guitarist Rick Barton fronting the band and sharing guitar duties.  Barton was also in the seminal ’80sBostonpunk band, The Outlets. The Continental are prepping to release their debut album in June and you can get a sneak preview Friday at the Pvd Social Club. With that in mind, I contacted Barton to get his take on things.

MC: From your days in The Outlets to Dropkicks to Everybody Out to Continental, what has stood out most for you as far as how the punk rock scene and even just the term “punk rock” has evolved?

RB:  The whole punk rock label in my opinion is a misnomer. On our most recent tour, it was pointed out to me that the first time that term ever appeared in print was back in the ’60s in reference to Question Mark and The Mysterians. So that was a good 10 years prior to Malcolm McLaren “officially” dubbing the term as legend would have it. So basically, what I’m getting at is I’m not a fan of that term being used as a musical form. I prefer to call the movement that most people say started with The Ramones, simply, original underground Rock & Roll.

The punk thing is basically an attitude and you could possibly say that Little Richard and Chuck Berry were the first Punk Rockers!

Anyway, the biggest change in this underground movement is back in the late ’70s and early ’80s when it was most prevalent people went and sought it out!! Nowadays, they click on it!  Kind of sad in my opinion but you can’t fight City Hall.

 

MC: It must be a thrill playing with your son in Continental. Does it ever create awkward moments between the youthful rebelliousness of a punk rock band and parental responsibilities? It is an interesting dynamic.

RB: Being in a band with my son has been incredibly trying! He pretty much contests and challenges me on everything from band direction to my personal lifestyle! I think I’ve become a disappointment to him as he’s had to experience the real me. Most kids don’t really get to know their parents on this level. But I’m steadfast in my determination and mission to make a small living playing music and hopefully he’ll come to respect me again as a person but that’s his business not mine. In one sense, it’s really good because he no longer puts me on a pedestal and that’s a really tough place for a parent to sit!

 

MC: Who was your biggest influence as a guitarist?

RB: I don’t really get off on guitar players, I’m a song guy! But, put at gun point, I’d say Malcolm Young, Johnny Ramone, Henry Cluney & Billy Loosigian

The Continental, The McGunks, Down and Outs, and Barroom Heroes will rock to The Pvd Social Club like a hurricane on March 2nd.

 

The Silks Album Fundraiser

The Silks have been tearing it up for a couple of years, playing everywhere from clubs to living rooms around town  If you get out much to see local music, chances are you’ve caught them. For those unfamiliar, The Silks are a like a spicy combination of Delta blues, country, and roots orientated Stones rock that people nowadays loosely term asAmericana. There is just one thing that has been missing from The Silks experience – a record. The Silks aim to change that and our holding a fundraiser to help with the finances at Machines With Magnets. Like a kickstarter project, there are various tiers one can invest into the show with perks like a custom poster from Ghost-Town, a DVD of the show, to even a private concert in your living room.  Check out http://www.facebook.com/events/241180289303482/ for the complete info. For an interview titled “Jonas Speaks,” I posed a few questions to singer/guitarist Tyler James Kelly and drummer Matt Donnelly.

MC: I understand you have a ton of material down. How are you guys going about selecting what will and what will not get on the record?

Tyler James Kelly and Matt Donnelly: Natural selection is the way to go for us. We strive for an album that imparts a large spectrum of emotion.  We are always writing new material and, at this time, we actually have tunes held over for a second full length.  We make sure to take time and pay attention to our musical inclinations .  Some tunes get dropped while others get added.

 

MC: Genre terms likeAmericanaand alternative get overplayed to the point that it becomes impossible to tell what anything sounds like. How do the Silks describe their sound?

 

Tyler James Kelly and Matt Donnelly: We do not necessarily try to sound like anything specific but to keep things pure and raw, the way we like it. Tradition is one of the most beautiful aspects of playing and writing music. Some of our biggest influences are The Band, The Flamin’ Groovies, Creedance Clearwater Revival

 

MC: How do you feel the band has evolved?

Tyler James Kelly:  With this current lineup, considering our varied individual tastes in music, we work very well together. Jonas for instance, has been playing bass in punk bands for years. On the other hand, Matt has played in a vast array of different types of bands, never playing in the same type of band twice.  For me (Tyler-James), I have had a love affair with guitar music since I was a boy.  Anything from 1930s country blues to 1970s funk and soul.  In our early stages The Silks main focus was exploring traditional modes Ie: Delta Blues, Country,Bluegrass.  Over time we have grown to be a band that has evolved to play music that is indicative of a more personal blend of our tastes.

 

MC: What do you think might surprise people the most when you finish the new album?

Tyler James Kelly and Matt Donnelly: We can feel the anticipation from our fans for the release of this first record. It’s been a long time coming. What might surprise them the most is the fact that they actually have it in-hand.

The Silks and Atlantic Thrills will be rocking Machines With Magnets on March 10th.  DJ Ty Jesso will be spinning his Soul Power set between bands.  All proceeds will go to funding recording of The Silks debut album.

 

They Might Be Giants

They Might Be Giants are one of those love em or hate em type bands. They’re either stuck up nerds who don’t rock or quirky pop geniuses depending upon where you sit. I liken They Might Be Giant’s cult appeal to a band like Ween, where their fans tend to just love them. I’m not really in either camp, but I can’t deny that tunes like “Birdhouse in your Soul” and “Alienation is for the Rich” are damn infectious. They occasionally even rock out with numbers like “Spies.” They Might Be Giants are damn fun live too, unless, of course, one is already in their hater camp.

They Might Be Giants bring the nerdcore to Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel on March 9th.

 

Deer Tick – Drops EP

Deer Tick has released more material from last year’s Divine Providence sessions in the form of a digital download EP titled Tim (Partisan Records). One doesn’t have to go any further than the EP’s title to find the homage to the Replacements that emerged in Deer Tick’s sound on Divine Providence.  In fact the first track, “Born at Zero,” sounds eerily like an outtake from the Replacement’s album Tim from everything to the guitar tone to the tempo.  Listening to it, I just can picture singer/guitarist John McCauley trying to come up with a song that is in between the Mats’ “Left of the Dial” and “Bastards of the Young.”  Lyrically, the tune is a little darker than the Mats but not as bleak as the addiction Hell narrative of the second track, “When It All Falls Down.” The song is kind of a mid-tempo storm with a simple riff that is carried through by waves of fuzz drenched guitars and Rob Crowell’s licks on the keyboards. The mood lightens with the love song “Virginia Gal” that has more of a stripped down blues meets ’70’s rock flavor. Ian O’Neil takes over the mic duties on  “She’s Not Spanish,” which is a waltzing lullaby. The EP ends alternate version of McCauley solo on “Main Street,” that was recorded almost immediately after the song was written. The stripped down arrangement works as far as giving the song a new dimension.  All and all, these are not simply leftovers throwaways but it is evident why some of these songs didn’t make the cut for Divine Providence.

 

WBRU Rock Hunt

March Madness is back with the return of the annual WBRU Rock Hunt which has traditionally featured some of the best (and worst) of local music. This year’s event is highlighted by a couple of veteran female fronted acts in indie posters, Roz Raskin and The Rice Cakes and ’90s rock dealers, Grand Evolution. There are some upstarts like Northern Lands, who after some lineup changes have really toughened up their sound and could do some damage, especially in the semi-finals. Bands that have also been making a name for themselves around town to keep an eye while betting include The Anchors. Scarlet, and Satellites Fall. I’m putting my money on the Rice Cakes to win the whole shebang because they’re further along as a band than some of the other acts and have a quirky aspect that separates them from the pack. This plays well when you might be playing to the same judges twice over a short period of time. Here are the details for the semi-finals, keep in mind that all shows start at9PM.

Roz Raskin and the Rice Cakes,KidMountain, and Grand Evolution will play the Spot Underground on March 2nd.

Kingston530, Look North, and Satellites Fall will play the Ocean Mist on March 3rd.

Free Hat, Sun of Sound, andNorthernLandswill play The Ruins room at the Colosseum on March 9th. The Anchors, Sic Vita, and Scarlet will play Newport Grand on March 10th.

 

Email music news to mclarkin33@gmail.com and get live updates on Twitter at twitter.com/marcclarkin

In Memory of Edward Henry Andrews of {Eddie and the Louvers} Eddie passed away on December 10th two days after his 29th birthday.

Eddie was a Renaissance man in the punk scene in these parts – frontman for the Louvers, they soaked the floors and walls of many venues around here and brought back the “beer bath.” They were banned from a lot of places, for making a public spectacle, such as the town of Bristol, and a few other local venues too. However, Eddie was totally embraced by places like Jerkys and Club Hell. As frontman, Eddie and the boys’ music was raw, anthemitec drunk rock at it finest. They won a Motif Music Award and split it, on stage, with fellow drunks Chris Evil and the Taints. Eddie was also part of The Butcher Shop, a chopper-building collective that turned out some awesome show-winning rides. Eddie was an expert Volkswagen tuner and shop foreman at Metro Volkswagen. He was always around to lend an ear or a hand when any one had a problem. He was a member of the Fall River Piss Drunks, a group of beer enthusiasts who took in my group of Friend’s and band The Shots and made us so welcome, we considered Fall River our second home. He was a member of the H-F Gentlemen’s  motorcycle association and a great guy. I write this with a very heavy heart. Eddie is only survived by his grandmother and mom, but survived more by the family he built on reputation, with all of these groups of  people above mentioned and the legacy of his music.

PVD Social Club has offered to have his Wake in the form of a good olde shit show on January 7th @8pmwhere we can all make a public spectacle and a proper celebration of his life, and what he meant to all of us, and the music community. There will be a donation of whatever you can spare, so that we can purchase a head stone for our lost brother, the rest of the proceeds will be donated to charity .

In closing, I’m gonna quote Ernst Neubach “Im Himmel gibt’s kein Bier.” In heaven there is no beer, that’s why we drink it here. And because Eddie, Buddha and Crazy Chris are in Heven drinking it all and having one heck of a time. Ride on Brothers.

RIP your freind

Drunk-Robb

Picked up the pieces after the oh, so unbelievably positive response to the last issue’s annual “Hot Woman of Local Rock ‘n’ Roll” column and would just like to address a couple of questions that were raised on the internet.

The female artists were chosen from prominent bands playing original rock ‘n’ roll in local clubs.  I made decisions based on talent and tried to include artists from different genres under the loose umbrella that is rock ‘n’ roll.

Every year, I choose artists whose music that I genuinely respect and like. The “Hot Women (or Hot Chicks as the cover said)”  tag is used to celebrate local female musicians that has run annually for at least the last 5 years in the issue before Valentine’s Day. Let’s face it — rock ‘n’ roll and sexuality have always been intertwined since the beginning. A strong, talented woman rocking out on stage is something that is generally considered very sexy.

The other misconception is that coverage is done on a favoritism basis to certain artists, while others get ignored. At the end of this and every column it says to “email music news to …” The people that play some form of rock ‘n’ roll and follow those instructions, generally find that their endeavors covered.

I’m not even that picky about how the information gets sent. I get random Facebook messages, phone calls, and text messages from people I’ve never met. I always try to accommodate whenever possible, but email is the easiest way to track everything.  Maybe not every time, sometimes I get the requests late, am already full on a topic assigned to me, and sometimes through human error get overlooked. If I miss something though, I usually do make a point to make up for it if information continues to get forwarded.

That said my old email address was recently hijacked by internet pirates, so please note the new email address to send things to is mclarkin33@gmail.com.  Apologies to anyone that sent stuff to the old email address for this column, I don’t have access to it.  Now without further adieu, let’s go into part 2 of the” Hot Chicks of Local Rock”… just kidding, that would be too 2011, next year.

Soma Nova (self-titled) 75orLessRecords

My first impression of seeing Soma Nova live was that they were a pretty much average bar band, nothing special and a little boring. Then a funny thing happened, the longer their set went, the more I became enamored. Initial impression of unremarkable shifted to having an interesting ’70s Dylan vibe. I found myself hanging on every note.  Soma Nova’s self-titled debut works the same way where the opening track, ”All This Time,” is boring both melodically and lyrically. Waiting for something to happen in this tune proved as fruitful as counting on the Congress and the President to fix the economy. Then, like their live set, with each song Soma Nova sounded stronger and more concise. By the time I got to the 6th track, “Hope’s Lament,” I was ready to christen it Song of the Year. And yes, I know, it is only February, but the song is the total package lyrically with a killer hook and a sing-a-long chorus. The Song of the Year sentiment was short lived thought as the nugget “Lonely Street” may be even better!  The song “72 Stones” lives up to its name with an Exile like slide guitar lead. “Take a Look Around” is another winner with a breezing but enchanting feel.  All in all, Soma Nova’s debut is a damn solid piece of work and I’m excited to see where they go from here!

Soma Nova and Castle will be kicking out the jams at Billy Goode’s Tavern inNewporton February 25th.

 

2012 RI Music

Hall of Fame Concert

The bid to get a Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame continues with theHopeArtisteVillageinPawtucketas the proposed site.  These things generally take awhile as there were Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame concerts for at least a good decade before the international one was built inCleveland.  Here’s hoping that it doesn’t take that long for theRhode Islandto find a home.  The 2012 Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame Concert features performance by a couple of local legends in Roomful of Blues and John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band.  The inductees this year are John Cafferty & the Beaver Brown Band, Roomful of Blues, Dave McKenna, Eileen Farrell, Oliver Shaw, Ken Lyon, Anders & Poncia, and Gerry Granahan.  This is a great night to celebrate and learn about the history of local rock ‘n’ roll with some kick ass music to boot!

2012 Rhode Island Hall of Fame Concert featuring Roomful of Blues & John Cafferty & the Beaver Brown Band goes down at the Met Café on February 26th.

 

The Toasters Free Show

The Toasters come to town on a tour celebrating their 31th anniversary. The Toasters are a skankin’ tour-de-force, responsible for gems like “Ska Killers,” “2Tone Army,” and “New York Fever.” I used to catch them a lot at Club Babyhead when it seemed like they had to be a neverending tour with Murphy’s Law. I remember those shows harnessing and unleashing all the positive energy that ska when done right, has to offer. Those were always sweaty nights from the energy and licks being thrown out by the bands to the dancing mobs hanging on every note. The influence of The Toasters played a major role in ushering in the third wave of ska in the late ’90s. Like too many pioneers, The Toasters didn’t get the airplay and record sales that the generation after them reaped. Still money for a good time, The Toasters are still going as strong as ever as anybody that caught them last year at Club Hell can attest.

The Toasters, Senior Discount, Short Handed Goal  rock the Pvd Social Club on Sunday, Feb 26th.  The show will start at 6PM. Free for 21+ and $5 for 18+

 

Spits @ The Met

Hailing fromPortland,Oregon, The Spits are like a fuzz ridden punk rock locomotive.  Listening to some of their tunes, I get an image in my head of The Spits as futuristic robots tying to take over humanity with three chords.  I may be a little disappointed if The Spits aren’t actually robots. The Spits are making a rareRhode Islandappearance that fans of twisted punk rock won’t want to miss. As a bonus, the local support on this bill is top notch between the ’60s garage rock heavy hitters, the Fabulous Itchies, and Buzzcock-style punk rock of The Sleazies. Leap year only comes around once every four years so you have to live it up! The Spits are all about living it up!

The Spits, TV Ghost, The Fabulous Itchies, and The Sleazies rock the Met Café inPawtucketon February 29th.

 

Odds & Sods:

A Troop of Echoes, Panther Moderns, and Morgan Ross play the Met Café on February 16th. Betrayed By Prophecy rock KC’s Tap inPawtucketon February 16th.  POW Camp, Olneyville Sound System, Lolita Black, Lowlife, and Pruf are at Firehouse 13 on February 16th.  The Throttles rock the Speakeasy of Local 121 on February 17th.  General Assembly presents Ghost Thrower, I Hate Our Freedom, She Rides, and All Eyes West are at Fete on February 17th.  Jeff Bujak, Spogga, and The Hornitz are at the Spot Underground on February 17th.  Ty Jesso’s Soul Power goes down at Local 121 on February 18th.  There is a KARP Lives documentary screening with performances by Tinsel Teeth, Idiot Vehicle, and Party Pigs at AS220 on February 19th. General Assembly presents a free show with This is a Movement, Seven Year Plan, and OC45 at Fete on February 21st.  All For Blood and Dekrepid are at KC’s Tap on February 23rd.  Moga, Mighty Good Boys, and The Sugar Honey Iced Tea are at Local 121 on February 24th. Mattera, The Can’t Nots, Fall & Bounce, and Vagora are at Firehouse 13 on February 24th.  Local hard rockers Pistol Shot Gypsy, Stealing Gadsby, Echoes of Petra, and Superlimit play the Met Café on February 25th.  Tony Jones & The Cretin 3 throw down some punk rock at Firehouse 13 on February 25th.  Fete has a big show on February 25th with Cowboy Junkies. Famous Winters, Oranjuly, and Ravi Shavi throw down at Local 121 on February 25th.  My monthly DJ night, Daughters of Satan Christian Dance Party, gets the party started at Local 121 on February 26th.  I’ll be kicking off the music around 1030PM playing everything from Motown, Motorhead, and plenty of local stuff too! This month’s theme is hot women of rock ‘n’ roll and the event is always free in the Tap Room. Dying Fetus are at the Pvd Social Club on February 28th.  The Continental featuring Rick Barton (ex-Dropkick Murphys) are at the Pvd Social Club March 2nd.  Irish rockers Black 47 make their annual return to the area at the Knickerbocker inWesterlyon March 2nd.  Black 47 had a huge hit in the ’90s with the infectious Celtic anthem “Funky Ceili (Birdie’s Song)” and are sure to get you properly amped for St. Paddy’s Day. Chevelle hit the big stage in town at Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel on March 2nd.  WBRU Rock Hunt kicks off at the Spot Underground on March 2nd.  The music starts at8PM.Boo City is trying to raise money to get toAustinfor the SXSW and will be doing a fundraising concert at Fete on March 2.  You can also pledge your support online at http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/boocity/help-boo-city-go-to-south-by-southwest-in-austin-t

 

Email music news to mclarkin33@gmail.com and for music updates follow me at twitter.com/marcclarkin

The adrenaline rush of Super Bowl week has started to kick in and it is starting to feel like I’m on a Benzedrine overload. Late night and early morning spent reading the re-writes of the previous days blurbs that all blend together to the point that the only thing I remember is something in I read stating that Bill Belichick will murder Tom Coughlin.
Whatever your feelings are on football, it is still a great excuse to throw a party. As far as Super Bowl Parties go, it is tough to top the PVD Social Club’s bill of a matinee punk rock headlined by iconic stalwarts of loud hard and fast, the Hudson Falcons and Boston’s The Ducky Boys (Record Release Party for Chasing the Ghost).  The bill is also features Pinkerton Thugs, Drunk Robb and The Shots, and Reason to Fight. The show is all ages and will not interfere with watching the game because it starts at 2PM– so if you are like me, set an alarm, or two. Not only is this the perfect way to release some pre-show aggression but you can stay or come for the game, which will be shown on huge projection screens throughout the entire club. At halftime, there will be a burlesque show so you have something more enticing than watching a washed up Madonna and there will be complementary appetizers served. Seriously, Madonna playing the Super Bowl, what diehard football fan wants to see that? Speaking of burlesque, with Valentine’s Day around that corner, it is time for our 5th annual Hot Women in Local Rock to celebrate this special day, well for single males and women in relationships. So without further adieu, let’s roll!

Malyssa BellaRosa and Christine Hauck from Fall and Bounce

Singer Malyssa BellaRosa (featured on the cover) and bassist Christine Hauck (right) lead Fall and Bounce, which is a relatively new band that has a solid classic rock feel. Think a female fronted Doobie Brothers meets something more contemporary like Beth Hart. I use the Doobie Brothers as a reference because the song they’ve been opening with borrows the melody from “Jesus is Just Allright.” Nothing wrong with that. I borrow my swagger from Michael MacDonald too. Fall and Bounce really go over the map from bluesy guitar solos to crunchy grunge riffs to even folksier singer songwriter stuff. Hauck locks in the rhythm groove on the bass that’s allows freewheeling diva BellaRosa to showcase her substantial pipes. Fall and Bounce have seemingly been playing everywhere as of late, but BellaRosa told me recently the band were looking to scale back on performing out this month to work on recording some material before resuming than normal busy schedule in March or April. In addition, BellaRosa released her first solo album at the end of last year, titled Open Up, which is more of a stripped down intimate affair as is often the case with solo projects. Fun fact, the name of the album was to be called “Music is My Soul” after one of the tracks up till about a week before its release, till I told her it was the corniest album name I’ve ever heard.  Making a difference, that is what I am here for. Standout tracks on Open Up include “Moving On” and “Never Be.”

Jess Powers (Jess Powers Project/Curator of Chanteuse)

I generally try to somewhat mix it up from year to year as to who gets featured because otherwise I’d might as well just copy and paste the previous year’s entry. Jess Powers might hold the record if I kept track of such things, but of course I don’t. Think of it has winning the Best Female Artist Grammy every year, just a little less prestigious and a lot less lucrative. Powers made it first as a vocalist with Route .44 (with Teri Pimley) and now has made the list in back-to-back years since going solo and as the brains behind her own Chanteuse series. Powers makes it seemingly every year, not just because she is both talented and “hot” but because she is actively doing something big and in this case with Chanteuse, which extends beyond her own career as far as bringing musicians together to collaborate.  The first anniversary show of Chanteuse is coming up on Feb 11th and features a who’s who of local female talent like Tig & Bean, Michelle Cruz, VulGarrity, The Sugar Honey Ice Tea, Miss Wensday, Kristin Minsky, and of course Ms. Powers herself.

Jess Powers celebrates the 1st anniversary of her Chanteuse series at Fete inProvidenceon February 11th.

Tai Awolaju (Boo City)

Tai Awolaju is known for both her stage costumes and her sweet harmonies as a co-lead vocalist forBooCity. This sultry vixen ofBooCityhas both the pipes and charisma to dominate the room from the stage. Boo City had a big 2011 between winning the WXIN Rock Hunt and the December release of their Midnight Folklore mix tape. As I’ve said in past Midnight Folklore was really more of experimental fusing of different styles, Boo City are planning on releasing a full length that will keep more to their traditional R&B and soul roots. That said, I really dug the tracks I’ve heard of Midnight Folklore. Boo City are currently holding a kickstarter to raise funds so they can go toAustinto perform at the SXSW Festival.  If you can spare any change to support a great band, go to http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/boocity/help-boo-city-go-to-south-by-southwest-in-austin-t to donate.

Missa Hills

(The Jesse Minute)

The list wouldn’t be complete without a woman from the punk end of the spectrum and for that the honor goes to Missa Hills of The Jesse Minute. I don’t think Hills has made the list before but then again after 5 years of differing lengths I can’t say. Hills vocals hover over The Jesse Minute’s powerhouse pop- rock attack. To some hardcore punks, the band’s pop element may be a little too sweet but I dig that element. The Jesse Minute has undergone some lineup changes in the past months but I am hoping that they get that filled fast and re-emerge as soon as possible.

Tracy Garrity (VulGarrity)

One half of the sinister sibling dynamic duo, VulGarrity, Tracy Garrity brings the blonde bombshell sex appeal.  Tracy and her brother, Shawn, flip flop between bass and drums belting out post-punk meets stoner rock escapades about the boogie man, plane crashes, and zombies. After winning the WXIN Rock Hunt in 2010, VulGarrity united the belts in 2011 by winning the WBRU Rock Hunt. Not one to sit still, VulGarrity has already gone coast-to-coast a few times on tour and are currently working some new jams that will hopefully hit the street sometime soon.

Galvanize and Vertigo Twin Double CD Release

75orLess Records presents a double release party for Galvanize and Vertical Twin on February 10th. Galvanize’s self-titled disc come off as noisy indie rock with a distinct ’80s flair. I dig the tune “Audrey Meadows” and “The Sane Coupon” has a bit of an early Yo La Tengo feel. Galvanize is a gold mine for fans of aggressive ‘’80s fuzz infused indie rock.

Vertical Twin’s sophomore release, Geezer Wheelie (75orLess Records), is another dose of motor punk thunder.  Vertical Twin have one wheel in ’70s stoner rock with the other one in punk rock. Tunes like “One with the Asphalt” and “Rabbit” remind me as much of Foghat and Grand Funk Railroad as they do of the Supersuckers. My favorite tune on Geezer Wheelie is “Rainbow Unicorn,” which sounds like a ’60s psychedelic garage rocker on amphetamines.

Galvanize, Vertigo Twin, and Six Star General will bring da noise to the Pvd Social Club inProvidenceon February 10th.  Be warned that the fun starts early as the show will run from7PMto10PM.

Quiet Riot

1980s metal titans Quiet Riot make a rare return to the area to bring some old fashioned head banging action to the Rock Junction inWest Greenwich. Quiet Riot these days have been greeted with some skepticism since the death of vocalist Kevin DuBrow in 2007. Currently, the band has no original members and the lone remaining member from the Mental Health glory days is drummer Frankie Banali.

I was among the doubters but after seeing some YouTube videos I’ve got to say they sound alright. The band hit stardom of the strength of their 1982 cover of Slade’s “Cum on Feel the Noize.” They never really had the same success when it came to writing their own tunes. That said, metal enthusiasts consider both Metal Health and Critical Condition to be classic albums. I’d totally go to hear those tunes performed in a club.

Quiet Riot will be at The Rock Junction inWest Greenwichon February 4th.

Odds & Sods:

Huge night of local rock ‘n’ roll happening right now at Firehouse 13 with Lenny Lashley’s Gang of One (ex-Darkbuster), The McGunks, Sharks Come Cruisin’ Barroom Heroes, and Phil McCaffrey of the Doll Eyes on February 2nd. Last Good Tooth, Pete Everett, Smith & Weeden, and independent Man are at the Local 121 on February 2nd.  Jonesin’ some hotNew Orleansstyle funk and soul? Go head to Met Café for Soul Rebels also on February 2rd.  The local kings of ska, The Agents, join forces with Route .44 for an epic show at The Spot Underground on February 3rd.  Atlantic Thrills, Movers and Shakers, and Yankee Bang Bang are at the Local 121 on February 4th. The quirky kind of indie rock of The Universes hit the Met Café of February 8th. The Figgs and The ‘Mericans join forces for a huge show at The Local 121 on February 10th. Viral Sound and Cosmic Dust Bunnies hit The Spot Underground on February 10th. Santa Mamba and DJ Face get the party shaking at The Spot Underground on February 11th. Barn Burning is at The Met Café on February 15th.  The metallic female fronted indie rocking Panther Moderns are at The Met Café on February 16th.

Email music news to staysick@aol.com

The last embers of 2011 are finally squashed in the gutter existing only in memories and hazy cell phone photographs. Whether 2011 was a great, horrible indifferent, or another number on the calendar, if you’re reading this, congratulations, you made it to another year.
Sometimes, that is all that matters.

Best wishes to all for 2012. And who needs things like the History Channel like to remind us that the Mayans say it will be our last. I don’t really put a lot of stock in that stuff. I think the Mayans should have stuck to worrying about their own civilization. Who knows, maybe they’d have made it past the fall of the Roman Empire. That said, in 2012 Rhode Island made a big mark on the global music scene with bands like Deer Tick, The Low Anthem and Brown Bird releasing records and touring all over.
It’s hard to remember a year that Rhode Island bands have left as big of a mark outside of the tiny borders. To recap, here are 11 of my favorite local rock ‘n’ roll releases for 2011 and a few things coming up to get you pumped for Armageddon 2012!
If you don’t believe the Mayan hype, just assume I mean Armageddon Records on Broadway Street in Providence. That is an excellent source for local music.

Hope Anchor –Pile on the Dirt (75orLess Records)

Hope Anchor have been aptly crowned a treasure trove of mid-90’s Providence rock royalty, featuring a stacked lineup of Terry Lineham (Waterdog, Frustrators), Jack McKenna (Backwash), Paul “Pip” Everett (Blizzard of 78), and Eric Fontana (Mother Jefferson). From the stomping rhythm of “Halfway Home,” it comes pretty clear that these guys aren’t interested in resting on the laurels of their past accomplishments. The gargantuan hook-fueled “You Were the One” shows people can still write hit songs with big guitars. Hope Anchor uses a salsa-like rhythm during the verses of “Go” before shifting to a more conventional rock beat to take the song home. “Lucky” falls somewhere on the specter between Television and old fashion barroom rock glory. On Pile on the Dirt, Hope Anchor come across somewhere between a post-punk and contemporary alternative rock while successfully eluding the trappings of either.

Prayers For Atheists – New Hymns for an Old War (PFA Records)

On New Hymns for an Old War (PFA Records), Prayers For Atheists unleash a barrage that goes everywhere from Minor Threat-style hardcore to post-punk indie rock to hip hop without skipping a beat. On the first single off New Hymns for an Old War, “Guns Up,” singer Jared Paul tells the tale of the 1972 Harlan County coal miner’s strike over a breakneck ’80s hardcore beat that celebrates the struggle and hope with the refrain “Guns Up! “Guns Up! “One day, we will win.”
“Ramsey County Blues” is straight-out thrash that, interestingly enough, was written by Paul while he was imprisoned in Ramsey County Jail for protesting the 2008 Republican National Convention. Prayers For Atheists do take a timeout from politics to celebrate the Renaissance City in “Hope City Sky,” which the free form vocal style of listing off local places and institutions reminds me a little of the late Jim Carroll. Prayers For Atheists are anything but pessimists though, as the optimism of tracks like “Strength of Doves” and “May 1st, 1886” give hope to get up another day and fight the forces of imperialist oppression.

Psychedelic Clown Car – New Record Every Week

Matt Martin embarked on an ambitious crusade as we told you last summer – to put out a new album every week for one year. Rating the 23 releases (24 by the time this issue hits the street) would be impossible and at the very least would require a separate Psychedelic Clown Car column. For the sake of being inclusive, I decided to count the series as one release under the logic that even if Martin had only one good song on each of the 23 releases to date, that would qualify as being a classic double album. The current Psychedelic Clown Car, Eph, features the blues rock of “Accidental Bonus,” demented freak-out metal of “Peruvian Flute,” a few classic blues covers. Martin reminds me a little of a blues version of Guided By Voices’ Robert Pollard with his ability to pump out a shit load of material without sacrificing quality. Psychedelic Clown Car’s new release is available every Tuesday at The Spot Underground as part of their “Free Creation: Tuesdays.” Never a cover and always a good time but if you can’t get out of the house on a weeknight, you can hear the latest installment of Psychedelic Clown Car online at www.sullyscafe.com.

The Blood Moons / Six Star General split 12’ release (75orLess)

This split LP from 75orLess Records pits the garage rock blues of New Bedford’s Blood Moon together with the sonic tsunami of Warren’s Six Star General in a knee buckling combination. The Blood Moons kick off things on the split ratcheting up the intensity with “Glassy Eyes” which just has that certain something that Apollo Creed called the “Eye of the Tiger” in Rocky III. The Blood Moons tone things down on this release, from their debut with a set of three downright ballad/wistful slow rockers. The Blood Moons make the slow jams work though with “Goodbye” and “Can’t Make You Mine” in a kind of Seeds-like ’60s garage way work. The latter one almost borrows the title of The Seeds’s “Can’t Seem to Make You Mine.”
Six Star General’s half of the split, titled These Woods Smell like Grape, kicks off appropriately with a track titled “Sonic Boom.” The track features all the staples of Six Star from Kyle Jackson’s air siren guitar raid, the thumping bass and yelps from Mark “Slick” MacDougall, and the skin shattering drumming of Dan Ulmschneider. This time out Six Star General were joined by Kraig Jordan to further buttress the wall of sound. Six Star General continue a trend from their last album, Six (75orLess Records), by including three instrumentals in their 7 tracks. Standout tracks here include the pounding “No Knows No” and an ethereal cover of T Rex’s “Life’s a Gas, the latter of which features guest vocalist from Jodie Treloar.

Knife Party – 3 song EP

The first time I saw Knife Party was an “oh my God, these guys are awesome” moment for me. These guys kill it with straight out loud and unapologetic rock ‘n’ roll. Tunes like “Body Shop” and “Ride Little Pony” are high octane thrill rides that recall bands like The Supersuckers and Motorhead mixed with a ’70s cock rock swagger. Knife Party’s EP is only available for digital download right now but there are plans for an official CD release sometime early this year. Since it is available for purchase on ITunes now, it makes the cut!

Maria Monk / Garage Sale Picasso CD Release (75orLess)

Another day, another 75orLess Records split release that this time has Maria Monk and Garage Sale Picasso dealing. I’m not going to lie, this release makes the cut primarily because of Maria Monk. I did see Garage Sale Picasso recently and came away impressed, just don’t think they have mastered getting their sound down in the studio yet. My favorite Maria Monk tune here is the uber-infectious “Middle Man” that reminds me of the ’90s indie band Magnapop. I could picture this song killing at a late night dance party at Occupy Oakland. On “Cave In,” Maria Monk get ethereal in a My Bloody Valentine-meets-James in a sunrise duel drenched in acid washed guitar squalls complete with ominous chants.
Garage Sale Picasso offer up some indie pop that has its moment with shimmying guitars on tunes like “Ghost” and the tension building chorus of “Long Gone.” Garage Sale Picasso pull back on throttle and let things rip a little with the low-fi crunk of “Wasting Away” which is always a positive. “Wasting Away” and “Long Gone are definitely the two highlights on Garage Sale Picasso’s contribution.

The Throttles

Self-Titled CD
The Throttles let it rip on their self-titled debut that takes you down the backwoods of dirty Americana rock ‘n’ roll. The Throttles flow effortlessly from the dark blues tinged stomp “All Gone Bad” to “Sailing Off” which sounds like what I’d imagined The Pogues would sound like, if they were from Nashville. “Leanne” is a love song that fuses rockabilly while channeling Blonde on Blonde era Dylan. Singer/guitarist Greg Burgess quickly changes his tune and proves he is not just a softy with the matter of a fact snarl of “Cut Loose and Go.” “La Belle Carmelita” works in a flamenco flavor with Burgess’s guitar shimmering on top of the rhythm section. The one thing that jumps out about The Throttles is Burgess, bassist Jack Hanlon, and drummer Matt Mclaren. Not only can they really play, but more importantly, they write infectious choruses and that really makes this record special. After all, there is nothing lazy about flamenco guitar in my book. The Throttles singlehandedly create a new genre of Americana funk with “100 Guns” and it doesn’t suck.

Sharks Come Cruisin’ – A Past We Forgot that We Need to Know

The kings of the sea shanty, Sharks Comes Cruisin’ dropped anchor with a new biscuit titled, A Past We Forgot that We Need to Know. Sharks Come Cruisin’ are sort of like a New England version of The Pogues in terms of the ways they work in their heritage by having a repertoire that consists entirely of traditional New England sea shanties. Sharks Come Cruisin’ come out of the gates swinging with “Raise Up” and a track I want to call ‘Rolling Down to Old Maui’ but on the promotional download it’s simply titled, “Track 2.” This brings up an interesting question . . . .how does a song with no title survived more than 100 years? You would think someone somewhere would have just called it something. “Track 2” makes me think of The Pixies in terms of the utilizing the soft – loud dynamic – particularly during the last verse, if The Pixies ever tackled a sea shanty and/or utilized banjos and fiddles. Sharks Come Cruisin’ invent a new genre of sea shanty-punk with “Farewell to Nova Scotia.” The opening guitar jangle had me expecting the tune to launch into a Husker Du-type thrash till then the rest of the band joins in and adds a Flogging Molly/Dropkick Murphys flavor but arguably better. A Past We Forgot that We Need to Know closes strong with “Leave Her Johnny” that is a sea shanty twisted into a Warren Zevon style tune.

Lloyd’s Llamas (self titled) (75orLess)

The debut disc from Lloyd’s Llama kicks off with a blast of guitar swagger in “Lost Weekend,” that reminds me of some combination of the Stones meets the Mooney Suzuki dressed up Kiss costumes. That is until the inexplicable outro, which kills the momentum and comes across as a jam band riffing on The Who’s “Eminence Front” for no good reason. Lloyd’s Llamas pick things back up with “Lion Love” that succeeds in channeling both Johnny Thunders (musically) and the Discovery Channel (lyrics). The blues in “The Mooch” reminds of the one slow number on any random AC/DC record. The country-tinged rock of “Stars and Stripes” is the first song that could possibly be pro-flag burning. The honky tonk tinge returns with “Alcoholic’s Heaven” which is a funny tale about dying and going to a Heaven where there is no last call and “Jesus Christ never shuts you off.” This is a much improved version of the afterlife from the one I remember hearing about in CCD growing up.

Reverend Bastien & The Congregation of the Traveling Empire – Roadside Attraction

I don’t know why, but occasionally I get asked for suggestions for bands to fill out bills for shows. I don’t know why. I always say the same three bands – The Blood Moons, White Devils, and Reverend Bastien & The Congregation of The Traveling Empire. The traveling good Reverend was one of my favorite discoveries this past year. Roadside Attraction boasts some of my favorite tunes released anywhere this past year in “Denver Sunrise” and “Scores to Settle in Vegas.” Reverend Bastien kind of mixes Neil Young’s storytelling narratives with a sound that would probably fall under Americana. Rev Bastien is almost too Americana to be Americana as they come across as a rougher barbed wire mix of old country and folk sung by a railroad hobo forever on the run. The bouncing bass lines in the verses of tunes like “Single Lane” and “Is She Smarter than a Fifth Grader” sounds like some sort of pre-funk meets folk science experiment while the lyrics take the adventure theme and run with it.
Reverend Bastien& The Congregation of The Traveling Empire will be kicking out the jams along with Filthy Still, Voodoo Fix, and Wolf Hongs at Firehouse 13 in Providence on January 13th.

Deer Tick – Divine Providence

(Partisan Records)
It is unfair including Deer Tick in a “Best Local Releases” column because they are a national band. Then they had to go name their album Divine Providence… and make it one of the top 5 balls to walls testament of messy drunken rock ‘n’ roll thunder released anywhere – so I re-thought and decided you know what? This is such a great album that I want to write about it again.
Divine Providence kicks off with a not-uncommon simple thumping beat of “The Bump” where John McCauley’s vocal line serves notice that Deer Tick’s days of being known as the darlings of the Americana scene are over. “Love is a Funny Word” is a straight ahead steamrolling rocker that comes across as punk rock band mixing the smarts of early Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. The triple combo opener is capped off by “Let’s All Go to the Bar” which channels the Modern Lovers “Roadrunner.” This is probably the first time a Jonathan Richman song has ever been morphed into a drinking song.
Ian O’Neil takes over the vocals on the downright, should-be-quarantined because it is so contagious, “Walking Out the Door.” McCauley gets back in the saddle with the jangly wistful mid-tempo “Main Street,” where the lyrics to the chorus just seem to be a series of Rolling Stones references. The hits just keep coming with ‘Make Believe” which mixes a Latin salsa beat with 70’s FM rock ‘n’ roll. The torrid stomp of “Something to Brag About” channels Chuck Berry in a Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash-era Replacements manner. This Replacements influence hasn’t gone unnoticed nationally as there is a hidden track penned for Deer Tick by Paul Westerberg, called “Mr. Cigarette.”

Top 3 Favorite Records From Everywhere Else

Mister Heavenly – Out of Love
The Barreracudas – Nocturnal Missions
Foo Fighters – Wasting Light

Coming Attractions for theMayan Apocalypse

Lolita Black’s 2nd record has been delayed a couple of months while the bands looks for a distribution deal. But having heard it, I can assure it is worth the wait. John McCauley’s new side project, Diamond Rugs (an indie super group with members of Six Finger Satellite, The Black Lips, Felice Brothers, Deer Tick and Los Lobos) is about the only thing that has gotten me to stop listening to Divine Providence for any extended period of time. Last One Out are finishing up work on EP titled Lover’s Trance that could be out by the end of the month.
The Famous Winters headline a bill that also features Woodsy Pride, and Zachary Café at AS220 on January 14th.
Email Music news to staysick@aol.com