Portland

White Fang w/ Numerators and Magic Johnson Friday at East End

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Sometimes I find myself in the mood for poorly produced music. Just focusing on some passion rolling through the cones of your speakers can relax the inner critic. No need to strain the ears for chord changes or ruffle your cerebral cortex in an effort to detect if the vocalist is slightly sharp of flat. Just enjoy it; loud, mangy, guitar-driven garage rock for your pleasure.

Please direct your attention to the White Fang show with Numerators and Magic Johnson at East End this Friday starting at 9 p.m. Also, make sure to check out White Fang’s fun short video (for a short song) for the track, "Space Gemz,"

White Fang released their first record fall of last year entitled Pure Evil, which Willamette Week reviewed saying, "Pure Evil is the rare record where everything sounds like crap—only, you know, in a good way."

 


Enjoy, kids! Show is 21 and over, and will set you back a meager $6.

Joel Sommer

New England

The Day’s Weight at Northeastern 4/8

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It must be tough to have an apostrophe in your band’s name – but I guess that’s how you weed out the articulate from the people who don’t care.

I care, and you should. The Day’s Weight will be playing with Delta Spirit and Movers and Shakers tomorrow night, Thursday, April 8th at Northeastern’s afterHOURS club. The show starts around 7:30 p.m.

If The Day’s Weight strikes a familiar chord, it’s because they played to a sold out room at The Deli’s Boston launch party last November.  Though Pat McDermott and Kyle Toomey grew up together playing music in the outskirts of Boston, the band officially hails from Burlington, VT. The two have gathered a strong assortment of musicians from LA to Berklee, and have basically brought together some serious sound.

Dark but refreshing, The Day’s Weight bring the old west to Indie rock.  McDermott’s voice defines the band’s persona – a voice steeped in sexuality and somehow familiar.  Each song successfully tells a story, and they’ll make sure to drive it home. I think they’ll impress the Delta Spirit crowd – which means it’s worth being on time for this show.

–The Deli Staff

Philadelphia

The War On Drugs Totally Killin’ My Buzz Man at KFN April 7

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So how about that potential decriminalization of pot, huh? Now that is what I call progress. Why I bring this up is that one of Philly’s bigger success stories, and pot naysayers (we don’t really believe that), The War On Drugs, are bringing it home tonight at JB’s spunky little neighbor down the street Kung Fu Necktie. The War on Drugs’ own blissed out takes on Petty tinged jams with wall-to-wall feedback and perfectly imperfect Dylan-esque vocals have earned them spots touring with the likes of The Hold Steady and Wilco. The band have been riding the hype of their debut album, Wagonwheel Blues, on Secret Canadian in 2008, but a new album is near completion and should be reaching out to eager ears soon. I’m sure they are going to play a bunch of new stuff, so that’s even more reason to get out tonight! The show is also going to have former 2007 Deli NYC Poll Top Performer and now LA natives High Places on the bill. They have this Beach House meets Lali Puna thing going for them. Also the feminine half of the duo is quite a cutie so that’s a major plus. Don’t miss this super intimate show with two bands that are sure to be making waves on the shores of the indie scene for years to come. Kung Fu Necktie, 1250 N. Front St., 8pm, $10, 21+ myspace.com/thewarondrugs – Adam G.

 

Nashville

Reno Bo and Mo’

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April is looking like a busy month for the artists of Electric Western Records (EWR). Derek Hoke played at the Family Wash last Friday, and Jacob Jones‘ is releasing his LP on the 15th.

Tonight, April 6th, Nashville can see Reno Bo’s self made music video for the single "There’s a Light" from his debut album – a musical collage of ’70s rock titled Happenings and Other Things. Though the single’s official release is set for April 20th, the video will be shown at Exit/In this Tuesday with Bo and his band playing along to it.

Bo and Jones founded EWR and they are responsible for the creative ideas that come out of it, too, so it’s little surprise that Bo illustrated the video for "There’s a Light" himself. And it’s not just Bo playing; the show is sponsored by Exit/In’s Rock The Block Series and will feature a total of 12 bands, including The Hollywood Ten, Kopecky Family Band, Evan P. Donahue, Dozen Dimes and Daniel Pujol at both Exit/In and The End on the same night.

Plus, it’s F-R-E-E ! – Jessica Pace

NYC

Blank Dogs release new EP + works on upcoming full length. FREE Mp3!

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Blank Dogs – a mainly a one-man recording project by songwriter Mike Sniper from Brooklyn, and currently a three-piece live band featuring Pamela Garavano-Coolbaugh and Craig Mileski – play dark lo fi pop with cold synth lines, surfy guitar hooks and angular basslines. The band raised to "cult status" after releasing records on various labels including In The Red, Woodsist, Troubleman, Sacred Bones and the band’s own Captured Tracks imprint. The newest release is the 12" EP Phrases, just released on Captured Tracks. The band is currently putting the finishing touches on a new full-length album, which should see the light of day on the same label later this year.

Portland

Nice Nice’s Extra Wow out TODAY!

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Nice Nice’s debut album on WARP Records has been a long awaited one. After churning out damn near one record a year on their old label, Temporary Residence Limited, Jason Buehler and Mark Shirazi have made us wait four years to hear some new discombobulating yet soothing, formless yet melodic tunes.

The duo has a knack for finding order in disorder, and this new album, aptly titled Extra Wow, is no exception. Though as a whole the record flows seamlessly, its fluidity is often threatened with disjointed electronics, guitar riffs, or drum beats. But Buehler and Shirazi handle chaos with such ease that it sounds natural.

The record begins with an apparent ‘60s acid-rock influence. Opening track "Set & Settting" is saturated with psychedelic buzz, static, and electronic bleeps, accompanied by Buehler’s muffled vocals, pedal-addled guitar and cymbal-heavy drums. The track meshes into “One Hit,” which may very well be homage to the great Jimi Hendrix, with Buehler asking his listeners, “Are you experienced?” The track follows its predecessor’s structure for about 40 seconds, and then takes a spastic turn, as if Buehler and Shirazi lost complete control of their hands. But amidst the drastic, chaotic change, Buehler manages to keep the melody with his vocals, and even when the two break into a disorganized instrumental bridge, they manage to effortlessly come back to the original structure of the song.

After “One Hit,” the album takes a calming break with two lucid instrumental tracks, but picks up again with “Everything Falling Apart,” another song with an acid-rock vibe, and “Big Bounce,” an aptly titled bouncy, space-y electronic track, which transitions into the album’s first single, “See Waves.” This track is still heavily experimental, but much more structured and accessible than the rest of the album. Electronic blips lead a quick-handed guitar riff and structured vocals, with tribal drumming exuding a primal nuance.

The second half of the album is much more ambient and mellow than the first, consisting of tracks with little to no vocals, giving your brain a chance to slow down and process everything it has heard, and leaving you with no words to describe the record other than “wow.”

-Katrina Nattress

San Francisco

The Deli SF’s Weekend Highlights For 4/8-4/11

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It’s another weekend on the horizon and damn it all if the Bay Area is not getting its act together with good shows to get out and see.

Thursday the 8th at Kimo’s would be a good place to start for the female-fronted dirty garage sounds of The Mallards with Street Sirens and Trumpet Solo, 9pm.

Of course if you find yourself in Mission on Thursday, instead of up the hill on Polk street, Orchestra of Antlers (who topped the Deli’s Year End Readers Poll) will be playing with Not To Reason Why, Clarissa Explainsitall, and Commissure, 8pm.

Reverb-drenched noise rockers Weekend, who currently hold the Deli’s Album of the Month award, will be filling up the Hemlock on Friday. Playing with Fever Dream and Australia’s Love Diagrams, this show is surely not to be missed, 9pm.

This week certainly seems to have had a lot of mention of the activities of Stomacher (having just won the Deli’s Band of the Month followed shortly by the release of a video) and to cap it all off this Saturday they’ll be playing at the Great American Music Hall with Tornado Rider, 3rd Rail, and I the Mighty, 8pm. Of course, yet another mention of Stomacher will be garnering some complaints from the peanut gallery concerning overexposure, but to that I say tough titties. I said it once before and I’ll say it again, so I can have the credit for accurate prediction: keep your eyes on Stomacher, this will be their break out year.

That about rounds it out for this week. Check back again for another round of picks next week, and bands, do continue to keep us updated on your schedules and you may find yourself mentioned here.

Ada Lann

New England

Ray Neades benefit show at Church 4/8-4/10

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rayneades

This Thursday through Saturday nights, there will be a benefit show for local musician Ray Neades at Church. Sadly, Ray passed away this past December, far too early at the age of 42. If you did not know Ray, he was perhaps most well known for fronting an AC/DC cover band by the name of Beefy DC. He got so much joy from playing music.

I saw his band perform at Paradise one night and after his set I asked him how he was. His face beaming, he told me he how he had always wanted to play that room, and that he felt like he was on top of the world.

At the time, I worked with Ray at Guitar Center. Outside of performing music, he was honestly one of the funniest people I have ever met in my life. He made my workdays so much better with his sense of humor. He told the kinds of jokes that I retell to people over and over again. He had such a big heart, filled with life and love of music.

The proceeds from the shows will go to help his family alleviate some of the expenses related to Ray’s death. The shows feature a large cast of local musicians coming out in support of Ray and his family, including Jenny Dee and the Delinquents and Andrea Gillis. You can get more info and buy tickets HERE

RIP, Ray. We will miss you.

–James Houlahan

Chicago

Lolla Line-up Chicago POV

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Well, Chicago currently holds 5% of the overall 122 bands announced for Lollapalooza 2010. However, four of the six Chicago acts are not main stage acts, but a part of the “Spinning At Perry” section of the line-up. Head over to Lolla for the full line-up and feel free to post you complaints about how Soundgarden, Green Day, and The Strokes are no longer relevant.

The Chicago bands at Lolla 2010 are Company of Thieves, Skybox, Felix Da Housecat, BBU, Flosstradamus, and Only Children.