If It's Too Loud...

Frank Turner Photo by Taylor Hill Selects Saturday's Boston Calling had a bit of a musical theme. Friday's "I Hate Boston" and "Good Tits, Big Heart" shirts were replaced with tie dye and cowboy hats (especially the free Miller Lite ones being handed out). The day was a bit more mellow with a country/folk/jam band sort of theme with some exceptions to the full day of music. Here are some of our highlights. Senseless Optimism Senseless Optimism had a tough crowd to win over, as she was mostly playing to Frank Turner and Trey Anastasio fans making sure they had a spot up front. She quickly won over the crowd with her unique style, and the fact that she's one of the most engaging live artists in Boston today. Her style encompasses so many different genres to make her sound that it almost works in every setting. It fit it smoothly enough for both the jam band fans and the folk-punkers to get into it. She also busted out a wildly unhinged cover of Led Zeppeli...

Photo by Shannon Shumaker I still consider Frank Turner one of my "new" artists even though I discovered him about thirteen years ago and he's about to release his tenth album. His albums typically go from good to phenomenal for me, and based on his latest single, this upcoming album could be one of the better ones. "Do One" has that level of confidence you only get from an artist who has been around as long as Turner has. It starts off as one of his more folky tunes, and then the rock kicks in. It's not a full on punk rock song, but Turner has long mastered finding that middle ground between folk and punk. "Do One" is just a straight up great rock song that's going to appeal to the folks, punks, and even mainstream rock fans. But that's just the magic of Frank Turner in 2024. Frank Turner says of his latest single: “‘Do One’ is the last song I wrote for the new album, and the first song on that album, as well as the first single. So it’s a...

It's funny how fandoms change and shift over time. Ken turned me onto Frank Turner a number of years ago, although his older stuff felt a little more raw than I preferred. While his recent output has been mixed in many regards, FTHC ends up feeling like a return to form as well as a nice combination of better production value and classic storytelling. I think what I love most about this album is how it balances emotions throughout its runtime. "Haven't Been Doing So Well" felt right on for our pandemic era, "Fatheless" a naked and brutal look at growing up with a broken family life, "A Wave Across A Bay" a pitch-perfect tribute to a friend dead from suicide. With all of these different moods and tales, a lesser musician taking them on would invariably misread the tone a bit, but Turner somehow makes it all work. It's a deft musical play and an impressive feat. This is probably my favorite Frank Turner record since Positive Songs fo...

Artist : Empath Album : Visitor Quick Thoughts : This album surprised me in all the best ways. It's a light, poppy, fuzzy indie rock effort with some truly catchy songs throughout its runtime, and ended up being a low-key favorite this week. It's definitely got the indie rock pastiche going for it, but it's also advanced from their also-solid debut. If you like the melodic lower-fi slice of independent rock, check this one out. Songs of Note : "Born 100 Times," "Passing Stranger," "Diamond Eyelids" Artist : Kill Alters Album : Armed to the Teeth L.M.O.M.M. Quick Thoughts : I should not like this as much as I do. Is Kill Alters post-punk? Industrial? Just loud? I have no idea, but I do know that I truly loved this record in so many ways. It's strange and unsettling, but still incredibly compelling as a complete package. Fair warning: this is not for everybody, but this was very much for me and is 100% the album I'm most looking ...

Another crazy busy week, so another two parter for you all. Co-Album of the Week : Artist : Nada Surf Album : You Know Who You Are Quick Description : Latest album from the veteran rock act. Why You Should Listen : Nada Surf has been perpetually underrated for decades now. Overall Thoughts : You might still only know them via "Popular," which is fine. The issue with that is you've missed out on a ton of great music, including their really amazing album from about a decade ago, The Weight is a Gift . This album? It's absolutely their best since then, maybe even better musically, and just one of the most solid recent listens in a while. In an era where power pop isn't really getting its due, it's interesting to listen to this and really hear a band that's basically mastered what they do. From top to bottom, this is a superlative album and I can't wait to spend more time with it. It's so good, guys. So good. Recommendation : A must lis...

Looks like we might be exiting the summer doldrums. Album of the Week: Artist : Langhorne Slim and the Law Album : The Spirit Moves Quick Description : Latest album from the folk revivalist. Why You Should Listen : You enjoy upbeat folk music with a retro feel. Overall Thoughts : I'm not sure I'm willing to call this Langhorne Slim's best album yet, but it might be in the discussion. "Strangers" in particular is a bit of a barnburner and the whole album feels cohesive and modern while retaining that sort of retro touch. Langhorne Slim doesn't get enough credit for what he's doing, and this should be a mandatory listen. Recommendation : Absolutely the best listen of the week, highly recommended. Artist : HEALTH Album : Death Magic Quick Description : First album in close to 6 years from the noise rock group. Why You Should Listen : Noise rock is your thing; You like music that tries to push boundaries but doesn't really do it. Overall T...

Via Facebook For anyone who doesn't know, last week is was announced that Cambridge, MA club TT the Bear's was closing this summer after over 40 years. This might be the first club closing to truly upset me. By the time I was regularly going to shows (1996?), The Rat was catering to mostly punk and hardcore bands, and Avalon and Axis were always the bigger, corporate clubs (even though they've been replaced by the even more corporate and gigantic House of Blues). TT's had an equal love of national and local bands, and felt like a home base to bands like Letters to Cleo and Lady Lamb the Beekeeper even as they got too big to play a 325 person club. For an example of how great this place was in the late 90s, check out the ad to the left. Jennifer Trynin, Allstonians, Velvet Crush, Boss Hog, Bikini Kill, and a Squirrel Nut Zippers/Magnetic Fields double bill in less than 2 weeks??? Plus, it was the site of the legendary Pixies/Lemonheads pairing on "nu muzik"...

Ah, the 2013  Newport  Folk Festival. This might have been one of the greatest weekends of my life. Sure, there weren’t quite as many acts that I was ecstatic to see as the 2011 and 2012 editions, but that just left more room for pleasant surprises  and discovery . I had to miss the opening day of Friday, but I arrived bright and early before the music started   on Saturday . It was probably the best decision I ever made, as I missed the legendary  Newport  traffic and started my festival experience stress-free without missing a single band.   First off, I headed up to the Quad Stage (probably my favorite stage of the festival this year) to see Hurray for the Riff Raff.  Alynda  Lee  Segarra ’s  voice is haunting on her records, but live it  is a  whole new level of beauty. Since they just released an album of mostly covers, the fantastic  My Dearest Darkest Neighbor , it’s surprising that they stuck w...