You’ve got love a band that is not afraid to have a little fun. Check out Scattered Trees in their Star Wars outfits. If you are heading to SXSW be sure to keep an for these guys.
Philadelphia
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Weekend Warrior, March 4 – 6
Like most Philadelphians you’ve probably downed enough PBRs as part of a special at Bob & Barbara’s, Tritone, Fiume, El Bar, etc. to the point that you’ve probably grown to view it as the unofficial beer of the city. If that statement suits you, then you won’t want to miss Saturday’s 3rd Annual Pabst Blue Ribbon Crafting Challenge Show at 2424 Studios where you’ll see 20+ independent artists showcasing vintage PBR Goods during a unique competition. You will also be able to walk away with plenty handmade PBR treasures and enjoy the sponsored refreshments. But even if the statement doesn’t suit you, then you still don’t want to miss what might very well be one of the finest concert lineups to ever come to the craft market. TJ Kong has had an impressive track record of organizing out of state festivals, a Halloween Rock and Roll Murder Show, and a 2 floor Winter Fest at Danger Danger Gallery, and he pulled out all the stops to ensure that this lineup is tops. While the bourbon-tinged crooner and his Atomic Bomb explode into the headlining position, Cheers Elephant will be carrying on the wave of success they’ve been riding since releasing their most enjoyable album Man is Nature. Rainbow carnival rockers Dangerous Ponies will hopefully be bringing the same energy that they did for “Aquarius Raging” (best DP performance that we’ve seen yet), and the always exciting indie pop recluses An American Chinese will get the crowd moving. Topping off the lineup will be the rockabilly country blues of one of Bucks County’s finest, The Levee Drivers, who will be pulling double duty with a stopover at Tritone later in the evening. It’s going to be a fabulous Pabst-filled day! Don’t forget to bring some whiskey or bourbon to get that city special feeling. 2424 Studios, 2424 York St., 3pm – 10pm, $8, All Ages
Other things to do this weekend because it’s getting a little closer to spring weather (but you still need to hold off on the shorts)…
Johnny Brenda’s (1201 N. Frankford Ave.) SAT Party Photographers
Kung Fu Necktie (1250 N. Front St.) FRI Panic Years, SAT Vintage Kicks, Caterpillar, Flamingo
North Star Bar (2639 Poplar St.) FRI Organ Blues, An American Chinese
The Fire (412 W. Girard Ave.) FRI The Lawsuits, SAT (Early) Anchor Boys Album Release w/True Things and American Royalty, (Late) Toddler Kat, SUN Zilla Persona and Voss
M Room (15 W. Girard Ave.) FRI Berretta 76 and The Donuts
Tritone (1508 South St.) SAT Levee Drivers, Big East, The Lawsuits, Ron Gallo
Millcreek Tavern (4200 Chester Ave.) FRI Conversations with Enemies, Oh! Pears, Cow Pals
The Trocadero (1003 Arch St.) SUN Satellite Hearts
The Blockley (3801 Chestnut St.) FRI The Love Club and Akron/Family, SAT Synth Sircus
Connie’s Ric Rac (1132 S. 9th St.) FRI Alison Polans, Spirit & Dust, Dan Collins, Up the Chain
Danger Danger Gallery (5013 Baltimore Ave.) FRI First Friday w/Gypsy Death and You, Omar, Motorcycle Maus, Roman a Clef (Ryan Newmyer from A Sunny Day in Glasgow), Bridge Underwater, A Fair Few, Flat Mary Road
Younglove’s (5011 Baltimore Ave.) SAT First Friday w/Danger Danger Gallery
Murph’s Bar (202 E. Girard Ave.) SAT Caboder and Prime Homeless Time
JC Dobbs (304 South St.) FRI Big Terrible, SAT Soraia
The Rotunda (4014 Walnut St.) SAT Charles Cohen, The Darren Finizio Experience, Night Burger, SUN WOMYNSFEST
First Unitarian Church (2125 Chestnut St.) FRI Paint It Black
New England
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March 10: Daniel Harris, School for Robots, This Buildings On Fire…@ The Savant Project w/ special guests: comedian Michael Levine, and live video art by Steve Grisé
In 1971, Paul and Linda McCartney released "Ram," a collection of visually-drenched aural musings. On Thursday March 10th, The Savant Project in Mission Hill will feature an evening of melodic and ocular cacophony borne of this inspiration. Boston’s own Daniel Harris and School For Robots will splatter the audience rainbow, hand-in-hand with visual artist Steve Grisé and comic Michael Levine.
Harris’ performances rise towards a free-form cohesion, a la Sufjan Stevens meets Daniel Lanois, featuring a full band: Josh Kiggans, David Ladon and Ryan Aylward, all from The Doctors Fox (where Harris himself plays a supporting role). Prepare for a rock-pop-ambient-loop-filled trip into Harris’s aorta.
School for Robots plays rock music for people. Their sound ranges from bizarre, twisted pop melodies to scorching ’70s hell-riffs. Drawing from such eclectic influences as AC/DC, McCartney, and Zappa, fans most often compare the sound to modern groups licking the rock envelope like Ween and Queens of the Stone Age. But whatever they’re hearing, School for Robots is forcing them to have a good time.
Steven Grisé’s dreamlike, often nostalgic, style of live video art has accompanied both Massachusetts musicians and international acts including Streight Angular, Casey Desmond, Prefuse 73, Don Preston and Bunk Gardner (Mothers of Invention). His work is based on methods varying from generating live feedback loops to sampling films and his own animated loops controlled via midi.
The evening will also feature special guest host, comedian Michael Levine, up from Austin, Texas. This Buildings On Fire…, a one-man acoustic folk act has also been added to the bill.
Thursday, March 10
8pm, FREE
The Savant Project
1625 Tremont St., Boston (Mission Hill)
–The Deli Staff
Nashville
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IT’S THE FREAKIN’ WEEKEND!
What else is there to say other than IT’S THE FREAKIN WEEKEND and all of our favorite garagey punk bands are playing from out of town and everybody’s pumped about it so you should just jump on the bandwagon/jump off the cliff with us into party paradise. Basically all you need to do is show up at Exit/In tonight, The End tomorrow (Saturday), and our favorite class-act Springwater Supper Club & Lounge on Sunday. If you wanna go to afterparties, just use your ears and your eyes and figure them out yourself 😉 Plus, this is a good chance to catch all of these bands playing before everybody heads to Austin and you don’t see anyone for the rest of the month because SXSW temporarily takes over Music Land. All the shows are $5. JACKPOT!–Erin Manning
NYC
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Weekly Interview: Warm Ghost release “Uncut Diamond EP” + announce tour
Warm Ghost is a project by Paul Duncan which threads his love of 70’s disco and synth pop covered in a cold net of electronic noise. Warm Ghost released their debut EP, Claws Overhead, on the label Geographic North on May 11th, 2010. Now, with Partisan Records, Warm Ghost have released their Uncut Diamond EP featuring three remastered tracks from their debut EP and three new tracks on a vinyl and digital only release. The band is now currently working on their full length release due out later this year, and will take a break in March to play a series of dates at SXSW and on the West Coast. – Read Simon Heggie’s interview with the band here.
NYC
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Weekly Interview: Make Out release video + Open for NY Dolls on March 16 and 17
Formed in 2010, MAKE OUT consists of New York native Hennessey on vocals, Jesper Mortensen (formerly of Junior Senior, aka Junior) on back-up vocals and guitar, Anders Christiansen on bass and Olivia Alminiana behind the drums. The quartet plays condensed and explosive indie rock tunes slightly reminiscent of the best band that ever existed (The Pixies). Check out the band live at Bowery on March 16-17 – they’ll be opening for The New York Dolls! – Read Dave Cromwell’s interview with the band here.
NYC
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Funky NYC: Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds play Le Poisson Rouge on 03.05
Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds swoop down on Le Poisson Rouge’s stage with their earth-moving soulful funk-krock as part of the 5th Annual Nolafunk Mardi Gras Ball tomorrow night (03.05). The band’s size alone (9 members) is to let the audience imagine how impactful their show is. Every instrument from the guitar to the harmonica to the baritone saxophone lends to the band’s rich sound, the most explosive force coming from Arleigh Kincheloe a.k.a. Sister Sparrow’s vocals: a little raspy, a little jazzy, mixed with a little bit of Aretha Franklin and definitely strong enough to lead the rest of the band through songs like "Boom Boom" and "Freight Train." Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds rounded up last year with a self-titled album release in November and a packed show at this very venue. Tomorrow night they play alongside Dr. John & The Lower 911 and Soul Rebels Brass Band. – Abigail Devora
New England
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theWandas Listening Party for New LP! March 8 @ Enormous Room!
Boston-based band theWandas are hosting a listening party Tuesday, March 8th at the Enormous Room in Cambridge, MA. The party is to celebrate the completion of their upcoming full length album.
Being an independent outfit, theWandas looked to their fans to fund the recording process. By allowing their fans to pre-order the album (in digital, CD, and vinyl formats), and to get their hands on limited edition merchandise, the band set out to raise $10,000 by using the direct-to-fan fundraising platform Kickstarter. The campaign was a huge success and they raised just under $12,000 in 30 days.
Now that the album is complete, it will be played in its entirety with DJ sets by the band to follow. Cocktail hour exclusive to their VIPs & Kickstarter backers starts at 7:30pm. Doors open to public at 8:00pm. There will also be a photo booth, courtesy of TimeOut Boston.
There is no release date set or name for the album yet, as the band is in talks with record labels to determine the release details.
This listening party is also a birthday celebration for guitarist Brent Battey and a sendoff for the band. Heading to Toronto for Canadian Music Week and then straight to Austin to play SXSW, the band will not be back in the Boston area until April.
Tuesday, March 8, 21+, FREE
7:30pm – Doors Open to Kickstarter Backers & VIPs
8:00pm – Doors Open to Public
8:30pm – Album Played In Entirety Over House PA
DJ Sets by the band to follow until close.
Enormous Room
569 Mass. Ave, Cambridge
–The Deli Staff
Philadelphia
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Concert Review (Sort of): Creepoid Is Way Punk!
Well, I guess that you can call this a story rather than review because I really had no plans to write about this event (so excuse the lack of details because I didn’t take any notes – sorry, all from my drunken, stoned memory). Last Friday night started off very tame. Just another uneventful evening in the life of a writer/editor trying to make my deadline for our SXSW print issue when I received a phone call urging me to see Creepoid perform near my hood at Tritone with The Vandelles, a band that has been on my radar for years now but I have never seen live. “Fuck! Why do I have to be so busy all the time?” So I was going to geek out and bring my laptop with me to do some writing while at the show. (I know that’s lame. But isn’t missing the show worse?) However, I received a second phone call about the place being packed so I abandon that idea and opted for Plan B: drinks and less sleep later to finish my work. (Check out how the rest of my evening went here!)
Austin
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Off of Sixth: SXSW @ French Legation w/Vetiver, !!!
If you find yourself stumbling around in a midday, directionless haze during this year’s SXSW – which is perfectly normal – point yourself east and uphill, and check out the French Legation happenings. This is possibly my single favorite destination during SX.
Because Texas was once its very own country – take that, Oregon – we had our very own ambassador here from France, who was housed at this elegant estate up on a hill. Now, I can’t be sure, but I think that the French ambassador decreed at one point that there should be fine indie rock, grilled sausage, and Lone Star beer made available on SXSW afternoons, and it has come to pass. This year events on Weds., Thurs., and Fri. – hosted by Bella Union, Yours Truly, Other Music, and Dig for Fire – will feature Low, Cass McCombs, Vetiver, John Vanderslice, and !!! (above).
Chicago
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California Wives “Tokyo”
California Wives have released a new single called "Tokyo". The track was recorded during their session for the debut ep Affair, but just didn’t seem to fit in with that session.
The band will be performing at 7 different SXSW showcases and then coming back home to perform at Empty Bottle on April 1st.
Chicago
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Houses Tour Video
Houses have release a cool little tour video documenting their time on the road through the Midwest with Baths and Braid.
The duo will be performing at four different showcases at SXSW and then heading out on the road this May with The One AM Radio.