Boston’s Eksi Ekso new LP, Brown Shark, Red Lion was released last week via Mylene Sheath (label home to Giants, Caspian, and more.) Paired with a 28 page book of artwork, the album tells the story of a photographer and amateur astronomer who disappeared mysteriously in Eastern Turkey in the late 1800’s.

Brown Shark, Red Lion shows a band comfortable exploring areas of orchestral pop (with a nine-piece chamber orchestra), synth-soaked dance, and hard-hitting rock in ways that can appeal to the crowd who just want a catchy vocal line as well as the kids who go to the front of the stage to see what’s in a band’s pedal boards. The vocals are memorable and well-arranged, the melodic instruments make hooks out of refreshingly atypical chords and melodies, the rhythm section pummels with a deft blend of creativity and back-beat. Strings and brass are not haphazard novelties that show up when the band runs out of ideas; they propel the song when need be or billow beneath the din when subtlety is best.

Eksi Ekso will be playing at 10pm Saturday, March 26, at The Rosebud Bar in Somerville. The line-up is as follows:

9pm – Electric Laser People
10pm – Eksi Ekso
11pm – St. Helena
12am – KNTRLR (Brooklyn)

–Chrissy Prisco

BONJOUR-HI!, the innovative Burlington/Montreal DJ collective noted for their energetic, collaborative live shows, has released their debut, Banana EP.  This is their first official release and represents the culmination of their influences from holding dance parties across four continents and playing alongside notable acts such as Chromeo, Ninjasonik, and many others.  Their Banana EP is a collection of original tracks with a tropical bass influence set to make you get up and dance.
The EP was co-produced by Craig Mitchell and was released on Tuesday, March 22, 2011 by Burlington, VT label, Slanted Black Records.


“The whole BONJOUR-HI! crew is super excited for the release of our debut EP.  We’ve worked really hard on it, it’s great to see the record getting looks from DJs that have been inspiring us for years,” said Tomie Marosy, founding member of BONJOUR-HI!.

Banana EP is available on Beatport exclusively for the next two weeks. It will be available on iTunes and all other major download locations shortly after.

Click here for "Arabesque Friday Night — BONJOUR-HI remix" a free bonus download!

–Chrissy Prisco

Boston’s multi-instrumentalist avant-folk quartet, The Grownup Noise, return this spring with their sophomore record, This Time With Feeling. Their CD release for which is this Saturday, March 26 at The Middle East downstairs.

All five members of The Grownup Noise (Paul Hansen – vocals, guitar, keys; Adam Sankowski – bass, keys, vocals; Katie Franich – cello, keys, vocals; and Aine Fujioka – drums, vocals), Todd Marsten (Accordion, Keys) are multi-instrumentalists and equal contributors to Feeling’s umbrella of styles.  The quartet came together in 2005 at the Berklee College of Music, when Paul and Adam first met.

The Grownup Noise have spent much of the past three-plus years since their last record, nurturing their skills and crossing the country on five national tours, traveling in a van that ran on recycled vegetable oil and was converted by members of fellow touring mates Piebald. 

With a true love for song, influences range from the Beatles’ and Velvet Underground’s classic experimental songwriting to the modern arrangement and sonic diversity of Stars and Ra Ra Riot.  On This Time With Feeling, the band’s musicianship and songcraft continues to evolve with a collection of sophisticated and honest work.

This Time With Feeling was recorded throughout Boston and New England recording studios, a cabin in Maine, and even vocalist/guitarist/keyboardist Paul Hansen’s bathroom,, where the band laid down some final vocal takes.

The line-up for Saturday is as follows:
Joe Fletcher & The Wrong Reasons
Spouse
Kingsley Flood
The Grownup Noise (CD Release)
18 +, $10, 8pm
Middle East, 472 Mass. Ave, Cambridge

–Chrissy Prisco

Moga
Album: Jamboree
Released: August 2010
From: Providence, RI
Rhode Island’s Moga bring a homey, rootsy take to psychedelia on Jamboree. They add banjos and piano to straightforward American rock and end up with something that sounds like music played in the parlor with family and friends. Songs like "Wakey Wakey" stretch into jam-band territory and would be right at home opening for Ratdog or Further. When their shades of The Band mix occasionally with electronic effects the result is something entirely new — "ambient Americana," a sound that the boys from Moga should explore in more depth.

Big White Clouds
Album: small white clouds
Released: December 2010
From: North Andover, MA
The folksy, acoustic music of Joe Solof comes to life with the full-band treatment in Big White Clouds. Solof enlists the help of mates Mike Moschetto, Mike Wolfeden, and Amory Siverston to create pretty folk indie-pop in the vein of early Bright Eyes. Solof’s quavering vocals only bolster the comparison, sounding like a less dramatic version of Conor Oberst.

No Evil Star
Album: Beach Reading
Released: February 2011
From: Boston, MA
No Evil Star hails from the mind of Adam Quane. Beach Reading is an odd amalgamation of downbeat folk, glitchy electronica, and lo-fi indie rock. The genre jumping that takes place from track to track may give you the jitters, but if you stick with them you’ll be rewarded with a truly interesting listen. For those who find bands like Animal Collective challenging, you may find a safe harbor in No Evil Star’s more traditional song structures.

Y69
Album: We’ve Got Problems
Released: March 2010
From: Burlington, VT
Whenever a 10-track record clocks in at under 25 minutes you know you’re in for a full-on punk rock assault. Y69‘s We’ve Got Problems doesn’t disappoint in that department. The dual vocals of Chris and Glenn help keep things interesting — one sounding like The Meatmen‘s Tesco Vee, the other like Rancid‘s Tim Armstrong — both touchstones that would make any self-respecting punk proud.

–George Dow

A few summers ago, I met Andy Cary at one of the collective houses in Worcester. Grass Widow had just played and we were standing around in the garage, I told him about the Mika Miko show I had coming up and he already knew about it. He was cool. A few months later, at the stArt on the Street Festival , Andy came up to me and was like, "Dude you gotta hear my band, we’re awesome!" Now, don’t get me wrong, I give every band a good listen to, but when he said this, I imagined a sloppy new band, barely keeping time trying to rip-off whichever act was hot at the moment. He told me his band’s name was Golden Girls. I laughed. Well. it turns out Pitchfork got around to listening to GG before I did, and other indie blogs were going nuts over their song Amateur Teen Sex Attics because, like he said, they’re awesome.  

I like what these guys are doing for many reasons, but the biggest reason is that they represent Worcester… hard. The scene there is definitely underground, but also definitely thriving, with awesome places like the Fuck Yeah Center, the collective houses and the skater punks who are building Worcide. All this and a couple of bands getting some national press ain’t too bad, if I do say so myself.

Golden Girls’ new single is Freebird, again they make me laugh. Right now  they’re on tour with Truman Peyote.

"Freebird" — Golden Girls

–Danielle Freudenthal

If you’re in Austin tomorrow for St. Patrick’s Day what better way to celebrate the holiday than by seeing a plethora of Boston bands? DigBoston and Converse will host the Boston to Austin showcase tomorrow, March 17, on the roof of the 512. The party starts at noon, be sure to stop by and see Viva Viva, The Dirty Dishes, Bodega Girls, Mystery Roar, Mean Creek, Kingsley Flood, Static of the Gods, Banditas, Endless Wave and DJ Die Young.

12-6pm
The 512
408 E. 6th Street
Austin, TX

–Chrissy Prisco

Lady Lamb the Beekeeper will be playing the Brooklyn Vegan Showcase at Swan Dive in Austin, TX tonight. The Portland, ME native, who recently transplanted to Boston, is a folk-rocker with the voice of a fallen angel. This performance is the artist’s Austin debut. She goes on at 8pm.

Also playing are: Olof Arnalds (Iceland), Ted Leo (Washington DC), Sam Amidon (from VT, now in NYC), Sharon Van Etten (NYC), & Evan Voytas (LA).

Swan Dive
651 Red River St
Austin, TX 78701

–Chrissy Prisco

Desert Race Boston presents Maine-based Alt-folk duo,Arborea and Somerville based singer-songwriter, Ryan Lee Crosby on March 20th at Precinct in Union Sq. Somerville.

Arborea’s fourth record Red Planet will be coming out April 26th on the Portland, Oregon based label Strange Attractors Audio House. Ryan Lee Crosby is a Somerville based singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.

The following is the video for Arborea’s "Careless Love" off the new album, Red Planet:

Ryan will open at 9pm and Arborea will follow at 10pm with a longer set. Doors are at 8pm and the cover is $7. This show is 21+.
Click here to buy advance tickets online.

–Chrissy Prisco

The line-up for the 2011 Rock N’ Roll Rumble has been announced. This Boston rock institution is presented by Boston Emissions with Anngelle Wood and sponsored by Pabst Blue Ribbon. Twenty-four bands will compete over the course of nine nights all to win one crown. It begins Sunday, April 3 at TT the Bear’s. Tickets for the preliminary shows are $9 and available via TT’s website. The six-night preliminary line-up is as follows:

Sunday, April 3
9pm The Blizzard of 78

9:45pm Jenny Dee and the Deelinquents

10:30pm OldJack

11:15pm McAlister Drive

Monday, April 4
9pm Full Body Anchor

9:45pm Tijuana Sweetheart

10:30pm A Wish For Fire
11:15pm Walter Sickert and the Army of Broken Toys

Tuesday, April 5
9pm The Autumn Hollow Band
9:45pm Cult 45

10:30pm John Powhida International Airport
11:15pm Spirit Kid

Thursday 4/7

9:30pm TRiPLE THiCK
10:15pm Static of the Gods
11pm Mellow Bravo

11:45 The Acro-brats

Friday 4/8

9:30pm Tired Old Bones

10:15pm Stereo Telescope
11pm Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling

11:15pm Keep Me Conscious

Saturday 4/9
9:30pm Cradle to the Grave
10:15pm The Year Million
11pm Black Thai
11:45pm Sidewalk Driver

–Chrissy Prisco

Endless Wave, an indie rock trio based out of Boston known for lush textures, dynamic songwriting, and visceral live performances, have released their first LP, Notes from the Compound. It was the last record produced by Paul Q. Kolderie [Radiohead, Pixies] at the late Camp Street Studios in Cambridge, MA.

The December 2010 closing of Camp Street Studios (formerly Fort Apache Studios) was a major loss to the Boston music community. The studio was seminal in creating signature sounds that helped launch the careers of local giants like the Pixies, Morphine, and Juliana Hatfield.

In support of the release of Notes from the Compound, Endless Wave is poised to make their SXSW debut on Thursday, March 17 in Austin and have the rare opportunity to open for Spectrum April 19 at Church in Boston.

The LP is available digitally for download here. An official pressing from Fort Point Recordings is expected by May with remixes and vinyl to follow.

–Chrissy Prisco

This Friday, March 11, Meghan Chiampa presents Mardi Gras at Precinct. Five stellar bands, beads, masks, and Cajun food. Dress like a crazy person! Dance your ass off! Celebrate the holiday and the soon return of Spring with this amazingly fun line-up.

12:30 Otis Grove — A funky blend of raw guitar licks and soul-drenched organs.
11:30 Mighty Tiny — This sextet don masks while playing a unique blend of ragtime, blues, jazz and vaudevillian-esque rock.
10:30 Opposite People — funkin to the break-a dawn!
9:30 Confederacy of Dumpsters — New Orleans style R&B
8:30 Vostok 4 — Synthesizers, Talking Heads are an influence. You’ll find yourself dancing, for sure.

Precinct
Union Sq., Somerville
$10. 21+ Music starts at 8:30 pm Doors at 7:30pm

–Chrissy Prisco

On Saturday, March 19, Vermont-native Justin Levinson will take the stage at The Lizard Lounge in Cambridge. Levinson offers up a catalog of songs covering everything from hooky piano-pop to soul-baring alt-country. With lyrics that range from lively to brutally honest and an undeniable passion for his craft, he has won steady praise from audiences and critics alike since his 2005 debut.

Five years and three acclaimed albums later, Levinson maintains a solid presence that has seen him share the stage with acts as diverse as Apollo Sunshine, Serena Ryder, and Band of Horses. He has also made several major network television appearances and been nominated for several awards.

Levinson’s most recent release is 2009’s "Predetermined Fate," a full-fledged dive into alt-country. The album brought him his strongest reviews to date, bolstered by the success of Sirius radio staple "Waiting For Someone To Love Me"; the song has gone on to win Justin a nomination for Sirius’ "Singer-Songwriter Discovery of the Year".

Also performing are Brooklyn’s Nini+Ben. Having spent years performing all over the US, Europe, and Australia, in 2009, they self-released their debut full-length LP, “The Reasons we Try”. They are an innovative band with up-tempo music that’s energetic, folksy and bluesy. They are currently working on new material and touring the East Coast.

Sat. 3/19. 21+.
Doors: 8:30. Show: 9
The Lizard Lounge
1667 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA

–Chrissy Prisco