The power pop band The Interiors have emerged from the studio to release a new five-track EP called Teeth and return to the stage. On May 3rd at Empty Bottle the band will play a free show to celebrate the release of Teeth. This release is their first since their 2008 self-titled debut on 54-40 or Fight. On a down note this will be their last show with drummer Brian Lubinsky. The band has announced that they will be looking for a new drummer, and will continue to perform and record as The Interiors.
The Interiors will be performing at Empty Bottle on May 3rd with The Ragtones and Dorian Taj. The show is free and begins at 9:30pm.
Pony Village’s self-titled debut EP shows just how much potential the quartet possesses. Completely self-released, and pressed onto 12” vinyl, the record captures the quaint, lo-fi, DIY vibe as well as the sparkle of larger things to come. “We give away free CD’s with [the record] at shows,” explains vocalist Ryan Barber, “but we recorded [Pony Village] with the intention of putting out a record, and I feel that CD’s are really only something that people put into their computer once and then forget about.”
Listening to Pony Village on vinyl brings me back to Northwest indie rock in the late nineties. The succinct drum taps and warbling slide guitar coupled with Barber’s pleasantly off key voice is reminiscent of Keep It Like a Secret-era Built to Spill, while echoed, unhurried soundscapes and Barber’s breathy, high-pitched vocal tone is nostalgic to Death Cab for Cutie’s Something About Airplanes.
Although the foursome has clear influences, its music is not a total pastiche. You can hear the genuineness in Barber’s voice as he sings, “Why did you bring me back again? I was at Pacific Pines, the sand on the beach at night, it looked almost white,” in “Depoe Bay,” a track paying homage to a quaint coastal town well known to us Oregonians, and encompassing the same dreariness that reminds us all of the Oregon coast.
The six-song EP ends on a strong note with “You Play, You Pay,” a beautifully eerie, sweeping piece played in minor chords saturated in reverb. The track begins with a droning guitar riff and drum beat that eases into Barber’s airy voice asking his listener to “Lay your ear to the ground, do you hear the sound? The one I can’t allow.” The chilling uneasiness of this track is fit for a record player on a gray Portland day.
If Pony Village’s LP, which is currently in the works, sounds anything like this debut, Barber will have no reason to worry about someone listening to it once than forgetting about it, whether it be on record or CD.
Producer Charles Newman (Magnetic Fields, AM) returns to the stage at The Hotel Café tomorrow night, Thursday April 29, with Vermonter singer/songwriter Kris Gruen—their last stop on a tour up and down the CaliforniaCoast promoting Gruen’s new album Part of It All. Stream part of the album here! Newman is the man behind the curtain, publisher of the quarterly print issue of the The Deli Magazine Los Angeles in his spare time. You can still pick up the Winter issue at various locations around Hollywood– most bookstores, cafes, or coffeshops that offer free independent magazines.
Every year, the guys and gals of PDX Pop Now! work their asses off to host a rad summer weekend music festival showcasing local under the radar acts. Since the organization is non-profit, it raises money for the big event via smaller benefits.
If you’re not going to be watching the Blazers kick some Suns ass, this is the place to be Thursday night. Make It Pop! begins at 6:30 pm. Tickets cost $35.
The WBCN Rock ‘n’ Roll Rumble is a timeless tradition in Boston. With the recent demise of WBCN, Rob Potylo has decided to revive the contest, but in a non-traditional fashion. The WBCN Rumble had a reputation to promote local bands in a competitive way through an elimination contest even though they rarely played local music on their station. WBCN has a place in my heart. I don’t know what that place looks like, possibly my bedroom at age fifteen listening to Nik Carter’s show writing angry notes (that would be folded into hearts) to my friends about what a stupid bastard Nik Carter is and wondering who is picking this music? As grunge died off and corporate America consumed the music business, the station turned to crap and died. The Rumble this Thursday is in celebration of local music and the Boston music community. I will be one of the "judges". Come rejoice with the sounds of: HUMANWINE
Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling Rob Potylo (Full-band) KING HELL
Quiet Desperation is a sitcom about the Boston music scene. Check out episode nineteen above.
We accidentally caught Bronze live at Pianos last night and dug them. Today we find out that they are no total strangers, as they formed from the ashes of Detachment Kit, a band we covered several times. Compared to the now defunct act, Bronze have a less guitar centric, more produced sound, in some sort of crunchy dance-pop sort of way (think something between MGMT and Social Broken Scene), and an equally fun live show, with the added textural element brought by Jess Birch frantic percussion. Check out their songs here, they don’t have shows planned as we speak.
Checking in with with the current activities of the railcars, it would seem Aria has been something of a busy little bee. While working on his cover of the Kate Bush album Hounds of Love he has also been getting a little remix-happy, having recently yet another to follow the one we reported on not to long ago. This particular one is a remix of Seamonster’s track "Oh Appalachia."
In addition to this remix by railcars, more remixes of the railcars’ song "Castles" have been surfacing. Both are from the free remix album we posted about recently that will be featuring Xiu Xiu, White Rainbow, Truman Peyote, and others. The first is done by No Age and the second by Jeans Wilder, who evidently has a split release with Best Coast (who played this years Noise Pop) that is apparently rumored to be aces. Check out all three tracks bellow.
On May 4th the new single from Via Tania will be released by The:Hours. “Fields” will include remixes from Lemonade, The Presets, and The Juan Maclean. You should also check out Tania’s cover of Fever Ray’s “If I Had A Heart” filmed in New Zealand.
You can see Via Tania on June 13th at Old Town Art Fair and on June 21st at Jay Pritzker Pavilion with The Books.
Tritone’s current showcase is indeed aptly named. In celebration of “Rockers’ 3rd Anniversary”, this well-loved but often forgotten South Street venue sets to crank up the volume starting with Sunny Ali & the Kid. With kick drum zeitgeist and a Johnny Cash-esque drawl, Hassan Ali’s songs fall between fuzzed out psych and punk glazed folk. “Hey You Know What, Jawad?” is a charming snarky shout out with a catchy caustic backbeat, despite its brevity. “Fuck Me” is stripped down and reminiscent of Devendra’s “Rejoicing In the Hands”. Rockers thankfully includes the risky harmonics of The Mighty Paradocs. Meshing hip-hop with punk rock, The Mighty Paradocs’ politics go straight for the jugular, while their riffs screech along with the beat. “Burnin” and “Hollywood Meets Bollywood” revives the pulse of a movement that collapsed in ’76. The buzzing shreds of The Lopez are perfect for slam dancing, bringing to mind The Misfits plus Le Tigre, leaving listeners smitten with tracks like “The Ballad of DCB” and “Gates of Heaven”. Each band is ready to sonically assault you, prepare accordingly. Tritone, 1508 South S., 9pm, $5, 21+ – Dianca Potts
Rubblebucket will be releasing a new single along with three remixes on April 29th at Higher Ground in South Burlington, Vermont and online everywhere. It’s called "Came Out of a Lady" Hard copies will be available at all their upcoming shows in the Northeast as well as nationally. This is the first episode of a new series called "MASTERS From Their Day" where it shows the formation of the song "Came Out of a Lady" which took only six hours to make and record.
The show at Higher Ground will also feature Vermont’s Tooth Ache and Villanelles.
The former Austin rockers and now Philly natives The G are ready to open up an old-fashion can of whip-ass tonight at North Star Bar when the dudes and dudette warm-up the crowd for The Willowz, Imaad Wasif (feat. members of Shipping News) and fellow locals Busses. Hold my gold bitches, there is going to be a throw down! North Star Bar, 2639 Poplar St., 9pm, $10, 21+ – H.M. Kauffman
Our current band of the month poll has evolved into a close one between My Empty Phantom and Baron Grod – we thought we’d take a moment, before polls close in two days, to familiarize any of the unfamiliar with our two frontrunners. And so…
Baron Grod’s tentacle-adorned self-titled debut traffics in the epic, seismic, apocalyptic and many other words for big heavy sounds – grab a thesaurus and have at it. They regularly finish in the money in the Austin Music Award categories for Metal, Experimental, and Instrumental…so they’ll rock you and you may have to think while they’re doing it. You can get acquainted May 1st at Beerland.
My Empty Phantom is the creation of Jesse Beamon; his work gets named ambient, classical, minimalist…and won’t be at all out of place on a bill with Balmorhea. He’s headed out on tour in July & August, but you can catch him the night before you go see Baron Grod, at Emo’s, Friday, April 30th, along with DOSH, Mono, and the aforementioned Balmorhea.
