Salem Wolves - "Teenage Wonder"

Salem, MA's Salem Wolves are back with another single, "Teenage Wonder." This one is a pretty straightforward rock n roll anthem with heavy punk elements. It feels like a song that would have been played at The Rat in Boston any time in the early 80s. You get the sense of breakneck ferocity even though the song never quite rips it out that heavily. We might be a little late posting this since a press release describes it as "... the soundtrack to a stoned-and-sunburned summer night." Oops. Hey, the end of the summer gets busy!

You can listen to "Teenage Wonder" below. Also, be sure to check out Salem Wolves' website for more info (including tour dates), and their Bandcamp for more releases. 

Vertical Slump - "Tether"

You'd think that releasing two albums this year would be enough for Shopping. Apparently not for drummer Andrew Milk, who has a side project called Vertical Slump. Vertical Slump will be releasing their debut EP on October 2. The first song from that EP, "Tether," definitely has a similar post-punk sound to Shopping, but Vertical Slump are more discordant and somehow upbeat. It's a unique mix of 70s post punk ferocity mixed with 90s American indie slacker rock. Think Joy Division meets Pavement.

Ruined Value is due out October 2 on Icecapades. You can pre-order the EP here. You can follow Vertical Slump on Bandcamp and Tumblr.

Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys - Shockheaded Peter

Back in March, Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys provided the music for a production of Shockheaded Peter at Boston's Company One Theatre. Unfortunately, I was unable to make it to any of the performances. Luckily, they just released an album of the musical accompaniment. 

Performing songs written and originally performed by The Tiger Lillies, Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys truly made each song their own, blending in their mixture of punk, folk, cabaret, metal, etc., or "steam crunk," as they call it. Since each song appears to be about the horrific fate of a character of the play, mostly children, it fits right into The Army of Toys' catalog, coming across like a darker, more musical version of Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory or Ghastlycrumb Tinies come to musical life. The band attacks each song with a disturbing glee. "The Dreadful Story About Harriet and the Matches" is a jaunty ditty complete with creepy sounding kids' instrumentation. "Bully Boys" has a frenetic energy and is pure evil fun. The band really kicks in with the folk-metal "Augustus and the Soup," which might be the song that most sounds like it comes from a theatre production, somehow.

Overall, it makes me truly regret missing out on the theatre production of Shockheaded Peter. As a consolation, Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys is opening for The Dead Milkmen at the Sinclair in Cambridge, MA on October 17. If you've been reading this blog for any amount of time, you know that might be my ultimate dream pairing. You can listen to and order Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys' version of Shockheaded Peter on their Bandcamp.

Live Shows: David Wax Museum, Prescott Park Arts Festival, Portsmouth, NH 9/5/15

Photo by Ken Sears

David Wax Museum are one of my current favorite live bands, and seeing as I hadn't seen them play live for over a year, I had to head up to Portsmouth to check them out. The combination of a Saturday night show, perfect weather for an outdoor show, and the absurdly low $8 suggested donation ticket price were too much of a draw to miss it.

Prescott Park Arts Festival is one of the more unique venues to see a show. They get absolute top level acts (Steve Earle, Thao & The Get Down Stay Down, and Josh Ritter have all played this year), but they also put on family friendly plays on the same stage. This year was Peter Pan, and the stage was still decorated for the play. The park is right on the Piscataqua River, which creates a beautiful backdrop, especially as the sun slowly sets during the show.

Suz and David came out and started off the show as a duo with a completely retooled version of "Lavender Street" that was heavy on the low end and almost sounded like a ska song. After that, they were joined by the rest of the band (a bassist and drummer who's names I didn't catch (Sorry...)), and started the set in earnest. Shows at Prescott Park tend to a crowd that is mostly older and families, so it always starts with just about the entire crowd chilling on blankets and in chairs. David and Suz encouraged the crowd to dance or at least stand, and slowly they did, especially the kids in the crowd. "Unfruitful" finally started getting the crowd up and moving, which it always seems to. I know I always bring up this song, but it's pretty much the perfect song and it is always a highlight of every show I've ever seen of theirs. They closed their first set with "Yes, Maria, Yes," bringing in a huge singalong for the crowd, and having some of the kids in the audience onto the Peter Pan backdrop to dance and sing.

Photo by Ken Sears

This might be the downfall of shows at Prescott Park. They break shows into a first set and a second set with a 20 or so minute intermission in between. It seemed like once David Wax Museum had finally gotten the crowd into the show and participating, they had to break for a bit. Once they came back out for their second set, the crowd had mostly settled back into their blankets and chairs with ice cream for the night. It did get better and the crowd more energetic as the set went on, but it was weird watching a band as experienced as David Wax Museum have to start over some scratch with the same crowd. They closed their set with the brand new "Guesthouse," which is even better live than the recorded version. After ending their second set, David and Suz charged back out for a duo version of "When You Are Still" from the edge of the stage. It was a virtually perfect way to end a great night of almost free music.

David Wax Museum are about to release their fifth studio album, Guesthouse, October 16. Check out their website for details, and make sure to check out their tour page for when their extensive tour comes out your way. You'll never regret going to one of their shows.

First Listen: New Releases for September 4

Waaaaaaay too much out this week, and none of it is especially mind-blowing.

Album of the Week:

Artist: Widowspeak
Album: All Yours
Quick Description: Dreamy folk rock.
Why You Should Listen: It's the prettiest album released this week, and does a lot of interesting things.
Overall Thoughts: I had a visualization of this band that was much different than the end result. It's definitely a strange record in some regards, but its beauty more than makes up for the challenge. In a week where there's a lot of straightforward music out (the new Miley notwithstanding), this does stand out.
Recommendation: Best release of the week.

Artist: Family of the Year
Album: Family of the Year
Quick Description: Latest, more mainstream, album from the indie rock band.
Why You Should Listen: Pop folk is your thing.
Overall Thoughts: The first thing that came to mind during this listen was how polished it was. "Make You Mine" has radio hit written all over it, and the rest of the album is along the same lines. It's not bad, but the indieness of this band appears to be gone. That's probably going to impact your judgement more than anything else.
Recommendation: Worth a listen, the parts might be better than the whole, though.

Artist: Oh Wonder
Album: Oh Wonder
Quick Description: What if the Civil Wars really liked Kanye West's 808 and Heartbreak?
Why You Should Listen: There's a Civil Wars-shaped hole in your heart that only some singer-songwriter duets can fix.
Overall Thoughts: I liked this album. I think. Every so often the traditional modernness of the whole thing throws an unexpected curveball that makes listening more interesting than you'd expect. It might not be for everyone, but I definitely know I'll go back for more.
Recommendation: Might not be for everyone, but should be heard.

Artist: Dan Bern
Album: Hoody
Quick Description: Latest folkish album from the longtime singer-songwriter.
Why You Should Listen: You're a fan of Dan Bern. Or Bob Dylan. Or politically-oriented folk songs.
Overall Thoughts: This is a perfectly okay album on a whole. It's one I thought was fine when I listened but I don't know if I'd actually go back, especially considering a lot of the more interesting folk albums that have come out as of late.
Recommendation: Probably for fans only, unless you're really into this style. You'll know quickly.

Artist: Fidlar
Album: Too
Quick Description: Skate punk at it's finest/most obnoxious.
Why You Should Listen: You still have an old beat up pair of Vans in your closet; you think Blink 182 sold out with "Dammit."
Overall Thoughts: I mean, listen. I'm 34 years old, a wife, a kid, a mortgage. I am not the audience for this. It's fun, it's goofy, and I think 15 year old me might find some meaning in this that I just can't anymore. I don't know if this blog is even close to its intended audience, but this album works at what it's trying to do.
Recommendation: Not for me, but maybe for you.

Artist: Public Image Ltd.
Album: What the World Needs Now
Quick Description: What if McLusky and The Fall had a really weird lookin' kid.
Why You Should Listen: You like this band already or you're feeling really adventurous.
Overall Thoughts: I had never actually heard any PiL prior to this, and, well, I don't see myself going back. Let's just leave it at that.
Recommendation: Ehhh....

Artist: Cold Beat
Album: Into the Air
Quick Description: Late 1980s/early 1990s alt rock stylings from a west coast indie band.
Why You Should Listen: You know the drill: this is a nostalgia trip you want to go on.
Overall Thoughts: I don't know if anyone remembers that song "Crash" by The Primitives, maybe best known to American audiences via Dumb and Dumber. This album gives me a huge vibe like that song, and I am on board.
Recommendation: Great listen, definitely recommended this week.

Artist: Diane Coffee
Album: Everybody's a Good Dog
Quick Description: Foxygen side project that feels like a 1970s rock record.
Why You Should Listen: You're a fan of Foxygen and you find this appealing.
Overall Thoughts: Another album that didn't really work for me, it's just a weird album that feels a little out of place and is clearly more of a passion project than anything else.
Recommendation: You'll know within minutes if it's for you, but be wary.

Artist: Painted Palms
Album: Horizons
Quick Description: A mix between synth pop and psych rock.
Why You Should Listen: You wish the Elephant Six folks did more with synths?
Overall Thoughts: I feel like the description is kind of it for this. I liked this album, but I didn't love it and it didn't stick in my head for long. I'll want to spend more time, but, in a crowded week...
Recommendation: Give it a shot if you have the time.

Artist: Lou Barlow
Album: Brace the Wave
Quick Description: Lou Barlow (of Dinosaur Jr and Sebadoh) does a divorce record.
Why You Should Listen: You're into Lou Barlow.
Overall Thoughts: This is a stark, kind of heavy album, as one can imagine. I've always been up and down with Barlow's stuff, and this is no different for me. It's stripped down and interesting enough to be worthy of a listen.
Recommendation: Give this a shot if you're into what Barlow offers.

Artist: The Arcs
Album: Yours, Fondly
Quick Description: Psych side project of Dan Auerbach (The Black Keys).
Why You Should Listen: You're a Black Keys fan looking for some retro rock.
Overall Thoughts: Honestly, Temples does it better. I get that a lot of the appeal of The Black Keys is how they update the sort of blues rock genre, and this is an attempt to do so with a slightly different genre, so that's noteworthy, but I just didn't find it all that catchy on a whole - and that's going in with low expectations.
Recommendation: Unless you're a Black Keys fan, skip it.

Also out this week:

* Against Me! - 23 Live Sex Acts
* Miley Cyrus - Miley Cyrus and her Dead Petz
* Thunderbitch - Thunderbitch

Kristin Hersh Has a New Book and Book/Performance Tour

Kristin Hersh is set to release her second book next month. Don't Suck, Don't Die: Giving Up Vic Chesnutt is a memoir and tribute to her tour mate and close friend Vic Chesnutt, who took his own life in 2009. Her previous book, Rat Girl, is simply one of the best rock memoirs ever written. Hersh goes into incredibly personal aspects of her life with such a powerful intensity in Rat Girl, which makes Don't Suck, Don't Die one of my most anticipated books in a slew of rock memoirs coming out in the next year. She's also going on a book/performance tour in the fall. Jeff and I were both lucky enough to catch one of her Paradoxical Undressing shows which combined readings from Rat Girl and live solo performances. If that's any indication, you won't want to miss her upcoming book tour.

Don't Suck, Don't Die: Giving Up Vic Chesnutt is due out October 1 on The University of Texas Press. You can pre-order it here. You can also find out more about Kristin Hersh's extremely active career on her website. Over at Bradley's Almanac, you can listen to Kristin Hersh cover a Vic Chesnutt song last month at Cambridge's Club Passim. Her performance and book tour dates are below.

Thurs,10/1--40 Watt Club, Athens, GA--8:00 PM-- Performance

Fri, 10/2--Highland Inn Ballroom, Atlanta, GA --7:00 PM-- Book signing  

Sat, 10/3--Smith's Olde Bar, Atlanta, GA --10:30 PM--Performance  

Sun,10/4--Schuba's Tavern, Chicago, IL--8:00 PM-- Performance

Mon, 10/5--57th Street Books, Chicago, IL--6:30 PM-- Book signing  

Fri, 10/9--Boulder Bookstore, Boulder, CO--7:30 PM-- Book signing  

Sat, 10/10--Swallow Hill Music, Denver, CO--8:00 PM-- Performance

Mon 10/12--Octavia Books, New Orleans, LA-- 6:00 PM Book signing  

Wed, 10/14--Cactus Cafe, Austin, TX --9:00 PM Performance

Thurs,10/15-- Book People,  Austin, TX 7:00 PM-- Book signing

Fri,10/16--Waterloo,  Austin, TX-- 5:00 PM-- Performance & Book signing

Sun, 10/18--Cactus Music,  Houston, TX--4:00 PM-- Performance & Book signing

Sun, 10/18--McGonigels,  Houston, TX--7:00 PM-- Performance  

Wed, 10/21--Brooklyn Voices at St. Josephs College,  Brooklyn, NY--7:30 PM Book signing

Mon, 10/26--Bottom of the Hill,  San Francisco--8:00 PM-- Performance

Tues, 10/27--Green Apple Books,  San Francisco--7:30 PM-- Book signing

Wed, 10/28-- Nectar Lounge, Seattle, WA--10:00 PM-- Performance

Thus, 10/29--Elliot Bay Book Company, Seattle, WA--7:00 PM-- Book signing  

Fri,10/30--Powell’s City of Books, Portland, OR--7:30 PM-- Book signing  

Fri,10/30--McMenamins Theatre, Portland, OR--10:00 PM Performance  

Sun 11/1--Book Soup, Los Angeles, CA--4:00 PM-- Book signing  

Sun, 11/1--The Echo, Los Angeles, CA--7:30 PM-- Performance

Wed, 11/4--New England Mobile Book Fair, Boston, MA--6:30 PM--Signing

Shopping - "Straight Lines"

Photo by Steve Glashier

Shopping is quickly becoming one of my favorite new bands this year. Their debut album just came out in the US earlier this year, and they already have a follow up due out on October 2. Now they have released the 2nd song from their upcoming album called "Straight Lines." It's definitely more of their late 70s influenced post punk sound, borrowing heavily from bands like Gang of Four. This one adds a bit more DEVO than previous songs have, but it's not switching up the formula much. That's a good thing, considering how brilliantly Shopping do the post punk thing. Besides, everyone knows the 3rd album is when bands start to experiment.

Why Choose is due out October 2 on FatCat Records (go here for a pre-order). You can listen to "Straight Lines" below. Make sure to check out the band's Facebook and Twitter. They're also coming to North America for a tour in the fall. Dates for that are below.


Thu. Sep. 3 – Brimingham, UK @ Hare and Hounds ^
Thu. Sep. 24 – Bristol, UK @ Fiddler’s Club
Sat. Sep. 26 – London, UK @ Oval Space
Wed. Oct. 7 – London, UK @ Dalston Victoria
Fri. Oct. 16 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg *
Sun. Oct. 18 – Providence, RI @ Columbus Theatre *
Mon. Oct. 19 – Boston, MA @ Great Scott *
Tue. Oct. 20 – Winooski, VT @ Monkey House *
Wed. Oct. 21 – Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz PDB *
Thu. Oct. 22 – Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern *
Fri. Oct. 23 – Detroit, MI @ UFO Factory *
Sat. Oct. 24 – Chicago, IL @ Subterranean *
Tue. Oct. 27 – Madison, WI @ The Frequency *
Wed. Oct. 28 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry *
Sun. Nov. 1 – Portland, OR @ Star Theater *
Tue. Nov. 3 – San Francisco, CA @ The Knockout
Wed. Nov. 4 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo
Thu. Nov. 5 – San Diego, CA @ The Hideout
Fri. Nov. 6 – Santa Ana, CA @ The Constellation Room
Sat. Nov. 7 – Phoenix, AZ @ 51 West
Sun. Nov. 8 – El Paso, TX @ Low Brow Palace
Tue. Nov. 10 – Dallas, TX @ Double Wide
Wed. Nov. 11 – Austin, TX @ Mohawk
Thu. Nov. 12 – Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald’s
Fri. Nov. 13 – New Orleans, LA @ The Hi Ho Lounge
Sat. Nov. 14 – Atlanta, GA @ Drunken Unicorn
Sun. Nov. 15 – Durham, NC @ Pinhook #
Tue. Nov. 17 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat #
 
^ w/ Ought
* w/ Shannon and the Clams# w/ Priests 

Rose McDowall - "Cut With the Cake Knife"

Back in 1988-1989, Rose McDowall, formerly of Strawberry Switchblade, recorded her solo debut album, Cut With the Cake Knife. For whatever reason, it was never released and faded into legend. Now in 2015, as part of a project to archive McDowall's 34 year career, Cut With the Cake Knife is finally being re-mastered and released. 

The title track for the album was originally meant for the second Strawberry Switchblade album. Since that never happened, McDowall recorded it for her solo album. It's a blast of 80s electro pop joy, sounding much earlier than the 1988-1989 timeline, which could be why it was never previously released. Today, we could care less about something sounding current to listeners in 1989, so we can just enjoy it as is. It's perfect for anyone who remembers Dave Kendall hosting 120 Minutes.

Cut With the Cake Knife is due out September 18 on Night School and Sacred Bones. You can listen below. You can pre-order the album now through Sacred Bones' website.

First Listen: New Releases for August 28

A really solid week for releases:

Co-Album of the Week:

Artist: The Weeknd
Album: Beauty Behind the Madness
Quick Description: Much anticipated second album by the R&B producer/star.
Why You Should Listen: You miss Michael Jackson's music; "Can't Feel My Face" is your song of the summer.
Overall Thoughts: I was thinking about this album yesterday when a friend on Facebook made the Michael Jackson connection I had in my head from the first listen of this. It's really apt, he even has some of the vocal stylings down pat and I can't tell if it's on purpose or not. Still, "Can't Feel My Face" is as addictive as the drug the song is about, and the album is really a great listen from start to finish. Even as someone who doesn't always like straight R&B, there's a lot to love here.
Recommendation: A mandatory listen this week, as it's sure to end up on a number of best-of lists.

Co-Album of the Week:

Artist: All Dogs
Album: Kicking Every Day
Quick Description: Classic 90s-style indie rock.
Why You Should Listen: You love the sort of retro-sounding acts of late; you liked the recent Bully album but felt it was lacking that specific something.
Overall Thoughts: This one kind of flew out of nowhere for me, and that might be shading my point of view somewhat, but the way this album sounds, the weight behind what's going on, the fact that it seems to pull together everything I've been looking for in this genre as of late? It's a really, really great listen for anyone who likes this blog or is finding this sort of 1990s-alt rock revival worthwhile.
Recommendation: Absolutely worth a spin, easily one of the best of the week.

Artist: Sea Lion
Album: Desolate Stars
Quick Description: Quiet folk music out of Sweden.
Why You Should Listen: The Nordic folk scene is your jam; you lack some of the quieter folk music in your life and haven't been into some of the darker elements.
Overall Thoughts: I really enjoyed this one. It doesn't break new ground, it might not even remind you of much, but in terms of the more quiet-style folk music as of late, it's a solid listen.
Recommendation: Worth a spin if you're into this sort of thing.

Artist: Infinity Girl
Album: Harm
Quick Description: Indie/alt-rock from Boston/NY band.
Why You Should Listen: You like your rock music a little louder.
Overall Thoughts: The one key flaw in Harm is not so much the music itself, but rather that it can't ultimately decide if it's a loud, hard rock band with indie elements or an indie rock band with hard rock elements. That mix means you have killer songs at the front of the album and songs that just feel noisy on the back end, and that variety, while sometimes welcome, doesn't register right on first listen. I definitely plan to spend more time with this album, but I can imagine some of this can be off-putting to others.
Recommendation: Recommended with caution. This could end up being something you either love or hate (or both).

Artist: Frog Eyes
Album: Pickpocket's Locket
Quick Description: Left-of-center indie rock with interesting instrumentation.
Why You Should Listen: You don't mind a little weirdness in your listening.
Overall Thoughts: I didn't know of Frog Eyes before this week, and listening to this album does feel like an adventure in some regards. I wouldn't call it "experimental" in any way, but it is certainly different, and that's where its strength ultimately comes in. The songwriting structure is interesting and the vocals arresting, so there's a lot to explore here.
Recommendation: Not for everyone, but absolutely one of the more interesting releases of the week. A solid listen for sure.

Artist: Destroyer
Album: Poison Season
Quick Description: Latest album from the indie folk stalwart.
Why You Should Listen: You've enjoyed Destroyer's previous works; you're a Merge fanboy/girl.
Overall Thoughts: I've never really been able to get into Destroyer, and this album didn't ultimately change my mind. I can't square his voice with the music, and it all kind of falls apart on me as a result. This doesn't mean it's bad, it's just not for me, and I can confidently say that those who like what Dan Bejar is up to will enjoy this as well.
Recommendation: Try it, but you'll know pretty quickly if it's for you.

Artist: DJ Spooky and Kronos Quartet
Album: Rebirth of a Nation
Quick Description: Score/soundtrack for DJ Spooky's Rebirth of a Nation.
Why You Should Listen: You enjoy the artists involved and/or film scores.
Overall Thoughts: This is a collaboration in conjunction with an art project DJ Spooky has been exhibiting over the last decade concerning a "remix" of sorts of the Klan-sympathetic Birth of a Nation film from 1905. It's difficult to judge this musically without having seen DJ Spooky's version of the film, but, solely on the musical merits, there's a lot to like here if you're into what the artists involved produce.
Recommendation: Withheld due to the lack of information, but the music is good.

Artist: Yo La Tengo
Album: Stuff Like That There
Quick Description: A new Yo La Tengo covers album.
Why You Should Listen: You've enjoyed when Yo La Tengo plays "the hits."
Overall Thoughts: Every few decades, Yo La Tengo puts out another covers album. I consider myself a fan, but more of their weirder stuff, and what's striking about the handful of songs on here that I know (and they have very eclectic tastes) is how straightforward they are. It is reminiscent of Fakebook, so think along those lines.
Recommendation: Honestly, it's probably a fan-only affair unless you're addicted to cover songs.

Artist: Foals
Album: What Went Down
Quick Description: Latest album from the indie rock favorites.
Why You Should Listen: Foals is your jam; you're looking for something different this week.
Overall Thoughts: Foals is a band I struggle with defining, and this album isn't much different. I think I just walk into the album with different expectations than the reality, which is fine. As for this specific listen, there's a lot of noise and a lot of melody and a lot of consistency, but I can't place my thoughts on it fully. Does that make sense?
Recommendation: Give it a shot if the rest of this week's offerings aren't doing it for you.

Artist: Beach House
Album: Depression Cherry
Quick Description: Much-buzzed-about fifth album by Sub Pop stars.
Why You Should Listen: You've enjoyed Beach House in the past; you wish indie rock was more of a sad sack affair.
Overall Thoughts: So I've never quite gotten on board with the whole Beach House thing even though a lot of other people have, and I can't place why. Depression Cherry sounds like a Beach House album, but is absolutely more stark and purposeful than I think I expected or even for bands like it. The result is an interesting listen I need more time with, but still one that might be worth a spin.
Recommendation: Give this one a shot at some point. The buzz and celebration around it are enough to earn it some time.

Artist: Funeral Advantage
Album: Body is Dead
Quick Description: Boston-area indie rock band that sounds like mid-1980s jangle pop.
Why You Should Listen: SO MANY R.E.M. FLASHBACKS.
Overall Thoughts: I didn't know about this band until Ken sent this over, and the album is good! It's got a lot of the sound and production of some of the mid-1980s R.E.M. I love so much, and that alone makes it worth my time. Hopefully this album takes off for them, it's a good listen.
Recommendation: Worth some of your time this week.

Level & Tyson - "No Fun My Head"

Norway's Level & Tyson have their sophomore album coming out in September, and you can check out one of the fuzz pop band's newest songs now. "No Fun My Head" is a beautiful, noisy burst that combines Psychic Hearts era Thurston Moore with early Superdrag. The whole thing sounds like Sonic Youth deciding to take a swing for the fences and craft a top 40 hit. It wouldn't have made it, of course, but the intent was there. With its swirling, fuzzy as hell guitars, it will be the most 90s song you hear all day even if you play your 90s alternative Spotify playlist all day.

Level & Tyson's new album, Gruesome Twosome, is due out September 25 on DIG! Records. You can listen to "No Fun My Head" below. Also, be sure to check out their website and Facebook to keep up with them.