Saturday, 10/23 at the Rosebud, The Autumn Hollow Band (Band of the Month nominees) release their new album, "Love Letters and Ransom Notes."  The band’s heartfelt americana should warm the room despite the numerous autumnal attractions the band has planned.  Attendees of the show can bob for apples and eat donuts from strings ("It has the potential to get weirdly competitive," the band says, and there are already challenges thrown on the Facebook event page), and there will be a carved pumpkin contest.  They’ve also apparently arranged for one-night-only "Love Letter" and "Ransom Note" drink specials, named for the album.  And if all that wasn’t attractive enough, the first fifty Narragansetts are free, and your cover cash also enters you to win one of any number of raffle prizes.  One amazing party set to a lovely soundtrack.  Also performing are The Points North, Coyote Kolb, and Big East.  Get there ’round 8pm to get that ‘Gansett and sign up for the games.

– The Deli Staff

VulGarrity, one of this month’s Band of the Month nominees, release their new album, "Dance 2 the Grave," this Friday at Providence’s Colosseum.  VulGarrity have always had a dark, edgy overtone to their music, and they’ve fully embraced it with this album.  The duo (that’s right – and keep it in mind when you listen to their music!) spellbinds live:  they both sing, they rotate drum and bass duty, and they also manage to add layered and harmonizing guitar to the mix via loop pedal.  They nail the epic, swooping guitar licks and double vocals of the hair metal days of yore, while thumping drums and wildly fuzzy bass propel the songs with a more modern groove.

Check out the video for their new single, "Freakshow," here.  Then catch the CD release party – the price of the album is included in admission (which is only $8 advance and $10 at the door), and the show is also a costume party and contest!  Also performing are Echo Son, Arma, and SEXCoffee.

10/22 / Colosseum / $8 adv, $10 door / 7:30pm / All Ages

– The Deli Staff

Tonight at the Bayside Bowl in Portland, our friends at HillyTown are hosting a fundraising party for the Maine-based bands making the trek down to NYC for this year’s CMJ festival.  The party will feature some of the musicians spinning DJ sets, playing solo sets and covers, and, of course, drinks and bowling.  HillyTown is shooting for $1,500; the first $1,000 will go to travel expenses for the bands, while the remainder will help to pay for sound engineering and other expenses for the "Maine vs. New York Day Party" HillyTown is hosting at CMJ in conjunction with the New York-based Battering Room.  

The Maine-based bands that will perform at CMJ are all fantastic and are deserving of every bit of help.  The Maine vs. New York Day Party is a free, afternoon showcase on Saturday, 10/23, at Brooklyn’s The Rock Shop.  It will feature three Maine-based bands and four New York-based bands.  For a complete list of the bands performing at the Day Party, and for a list of the other Maine bands performing at CMJ, head over to HillyTown’s Kickstarter page.  While you’re at it, throw in a few bucks.

The fundraising party is tonight at 7pm, so get a move on!  But, in case you can’t make it to the party (we’re late on reporting this to you, we understand)… did we mention their Kickstarter page?

– The Deli Staff

What do you get when you start with funk-soul grooves, throw in some jazz stylings, add jam band sensibilities, layer on the heavy guitar and organ riffage, and finish it off with prog-rock wackiness? Oh yeah… and remove the vocals for an all-instrumental delivery. Given that mish-mash I would have guessed you’d get a train wreck. Thank God my guess would have been wrong. Otis Grove’s newest release, The Runk, is an instant classic.

The Runk opens with “Monark” and a dual barrage of guitar and organ straight out of the Deep Purple songbook. About a minute in, it takes a hard left turn into Emerson, Lake and Palmer territory with a crazy time signature shift and a Keith Emerson-style key solo. Then the tune suddenly comes back together with a meandering Santana-esque guitar solo before swinging back to the Deep Purple riffs to end the song. That’s a lot of ground covered in a single track and I knew I was in for a treat.

The next two tracks, “The Bunk” and “Basket Case," stick to a more traditional funk/jazz style, reminiscent of Fishbone mixed with Medeski, Martin and Wood. Both songs pay homage to a retro-soul sound while remaining thoroughly modern in their delivery. The album continues on this cycle through seven more tracks, alternating between heavy jam band rock-influenced tracks and classic funk/soul/jazz.

Late in the album, “I Won’t Forget” brings me back to my youth in the ’70s. During my summers in New Hampshire I would frequently go roller skating at an old rink on Lake Winnipesaukee. Instead of playing Top 40 hits they instead had reel-to-reel tapes of old organ music, like some ancient form of Muzak. Listening to the keys on “I Won’t Forget” suddenly turned me into a 10 year-old klutz, circling the rink and trying desperately to look cool in a velour shirt and homemade plaid pants.

The Runk closes with “Fausto." The track highlights their drumming chops, opening with a short drum solo. Those drums remain the driving feature of the six and a half minute track and end this amazing album on a simmering groove.

– George Dow

Catch the Boston CD Release for The Runk on Friday, 10/15, at the Lizard Lounge!  Supporting the release are Club D’elf and The Squabble, and Otis Grove will perform with special guest Mr. Lif.  Friday 10/15 Lizard Lounge / Doors 8pm / $10 adv $12 door / 21+

Stereogrove, the Boston-based rock/reggae/funk/hip-hop quartet, kick off an October residency at the Precinct tonight at 9pm.  In and of themselves, they put on a live show more than worth the cover charge; their music is made for the stage, vocals flying or skatting over rhythms by turn rock, funk, dub, and uptempo reggae.  Although it’s dance- and energy-minded, the structures are thoughtful and the juxtapositions of jiving, swinging, and diggin’ into it are more than interesting fare for those who prefer to sit or stand and appreciate instead.  But consider this a challenge to not, at the very least, tap your toe along to it.

The band has been working on new music and has apparently written four different sets, one for each night, which is quite a feat on its own and promises for a dynamic residency.  And although you’ll surely be drawn to the stage by the magnetism of Stereogrove’s grooves, this residency sweetens the pot with opening DJ and slam poetry sets, art showcases, live art making, some great supporting music, and live jams at the end of each night.  Check below to find out who else you can expect to see ripping it up – with bills like these, these should be some jams to remember!

The following information is from the band’s website.  Each evening of the residency begins at 9pm, is 21+, and has a cover charge of $7.

10/6
DOORS: 8:30
DJ SET/SLAM POETY SET: 9:00 – 9:20
STEREOGROVE: 9:30 – 10:00 – (Set Picked By Aj)
THE FEW: 10:15 – 11:15 (classic rock/jam band)
JAM SESSION: 11:30 – CLOSE
ARTIST: TONY HOLLUMS – MUSIC ON PAPER AND SURREALISTIC PEN & INK
——————————–
10/13
DOORS: 8:30
DJ SET/SLAM POETY SET: 9:00 – 9:20
STEREOGROVE: 9:30 – 10:00 (set picked by Tony)
MODUS: 10:15 – 11:15 (dirty funk/jazz)
JAM SESSION: 11:30 – CLOSE
ARTIST: MEGHAN CHIAMPA – PSYCHEDELIC INSPIRED PAINTINGS AKA “WHAT A UNICORN SEES ON ACID”
——————————–
10/20
DOORS: 8:30
DJ SET/SLAM POETY SET: 9:00 – 9:20
STEREOGROVE: 9:30 – 10:00 (set picked by Matt Butler)
KING’S DUB: 10:15 – 11:15 (reggae/dub)
JAM SESSION: 11:30 – CLOSE
ARTIST: ELIZABETH MCBRIDE – RETRO POLAROID PORTRAITURE
——————————–
10/27
DOORS: 8:30
DJ SET/SLAM POETY SET: 9:00 – 9:20
STEREOGROVE: 9:30 – 10:00 (Set Picked By Matt Smith)
PIPELINE RIOT: 10:15 – 11:15 (rock/reggae/funk)
JAM SESSION: 11:30 – CLOSE
ARTIST: JOSHUA OLIVEIRA – ABSTRACT CUBISM PAINTINGS

– The Deli Staff

Muy Cansado‘s "Love and Fear" is a wonderful EP of indie rock gems.  The kickoff track, "Giant," has a winding verse with unique timing that slaloms towards an idyllic, Pixies-esque dual vocal chorus.  Despite the grand aspirations of the song’s driving rhythms and chord progression, Chris Mulvey pushes the lead vocals hard, lending the song a palpable immediacy.  There are two separate guitar solos here, too, and at under three minutes, the song is a lesson in making every second count – as is the entire EP, actually.  The songs march on with driving rhythms and snaky bass lines; the vocals push against the danceable verse groove of "Not About a Girl" and lend an organic, raw depth.  The rhythms are rock solid, the guitar work interesting or appropriately supportive, the bass lines undeniably fun, and the vocals always infectious (check out the title track).  The cream on the cake are the little things, though, like the quick funky jive of a guitar at the end of the "Not About a Girl" chorus or the one long backup vocal note in the chorus of "Sharpshooter," and they really fill out the songs and make this EP a pleasure to revisit.

Find out where to get your copy over at their website.

– The Deli Staff

Kristen Ford is a 23-year-old genre bending singer/songwriter, a fact highlighted by the release of her latest album, “Alone, Together."  The album, which began as a stripped down 6-song EP of solo tunes (the “Alone” portion) is complemented by an energetic live recording (the “Together” portion) featuring Paul Hendrick on bass and vocals and Sarah Icklan on drums and vocals. The album drops tonight at the Lizard Lounge in a show that also features local singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Audrey Ryan (who also helped with production of Ford’s LP) and jazz/folk songstress Abbie Barrett.

Lizard Lounge (1667 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge) / 9m / $10

– The Deli Staff

Aloud has always written music that, at first listen, seems like it would translate easily to the stage.  Until now.  "Exile," the band’s new LP, is dark and densely orchestrated.  Acoustic piano and horns cast deep overtones over the traditional rock instruments and lend the songs a weight altogether new to the band.  The songs are, for the most part, a good bit slower, too.  That’s not to say that this album is hard to swallow.  Tracks like "Counterfeit Star" and "A Light That Shines" bounce along at a danceable clip, and in the slower songs, Aloud’s memorable melodies have more room to stretch out.  In fact, one of the most effective songs the band has written to date, "Exile in the Night," is the perfect combination – the chorus melody is a beautiful, lilting duet between Jen de la Osa and a high register piano over a groovy rhythm propelled by a guiro.  This album doesn’t sound like an especially easy transition to live performance for the band, which might be for the better.  If this much of a departure in the studio produced such a rich and interesting result, their always-electric live performance will be all the more memorable given the new material.

Catch Aloud live before they leave for tour!  The release show is at Club Church and is hosted by author and poet James Caroline, and the supporting bands are St. Claire and Old Jack.

Church / 8:30 pm / $10 / 21+

– The Deli Staff

As Built PResents continues its September residency at O’Brien’s pub tomorrow, Wednesday 9/15.  For fans of psychedelic and experimental rock and ambience, this is a bill to catch.  

Moon Climb the Wall‘s recent "Helium Demon" EP is a shades-of-gray, foreboding trip through ambient landscapes, often brushing elbows with hip hop, an unexpected but interesting angle.  Peace & Quiet stand closer to rock, but share MCTW’s mind for ambience and rich textures.  Their "Inauguration" EP incorporates sludgy drums and vocals by turns spoken, sung and shouted – one of the most fascinating tracks, "I Am Capping," sits synth noodling underneath a frantic and distraught vocal diatribe before a sub-synth bassline that would make gangster rap jealous takes over the space.  And MMOSS, the headliner, is a head-turningly good revivalist psychedelia outfit.  They have heavy primary-source overtones; that is to say, this isn’t your corner bar’s resident band of Brian Jonestown Massacre fans, but the real deal, a band stemming right from the music of the ’60s and ’70s, and doing it damn well and with a spin of their own.

Here’s an added bonus:  The first 20 guests will receive a free poster, and you can get most or all of this music right now for free (or name your price)!  Click a name below to grab yours.  (As Built PR’s link goes to the label’s Bandcamp site, where they offer, also free, a mix of bands playing in their September residency.)

As Built PR Presents (from bottom to top):
MMOSS
Peace & Quiet
Moon Climb the Wall
Once Dead Flesh

$8 / 9pm

– The Deli Staff

Typically, it’s the vocalists on any given night of live music who leave with the odd satisfaction of a hoarse voice – the physical manifestation and deep impression of a noisy night, a good time shared with friends and strangers, and a job well done.  This Saturday, get acquainted with your vocal exercises and expect to leave the Middle East (Upstairs) like a singer.  Okay, sans glitter and makeup, maybe, and perhaps a little less sweaty – but sore voice, ringing ears and all!

Muy Cansado and The Lights Out release their latest EPs, "Love and Fear" and "Rock Pony," respectively, with star-studded support:  Boston’s Sidewalk Driver and Brooklyn’s The Press.  If that bill hasn’t already gotten you humming a melody, head over to their websites and learn them.  Really.  That’d be an order if we could enforce it.  It’s as solid and infectious an evening of high-energy rock (both pop- and, er, -and roll) as you’ll find.

Check back here at the Deli New England soon for a spotlights of "Love and Fear" and "Rock Pony."  

The national release of "Love and Fear," which we can go ahead and tell you is a thoroughly wonderful collection of indie rock gems, on Goodnight Records is September 14th – but you can grab your copy early at this show.

9pm – The Press
10pm – Sidewalk Driver
11pm – Muy Cansado
12pm – The Lights Out

$10 / 8:30pm doors

– The Deli Staff

Looking for something to do with your Thursday night?  Need a math rock fix?  The Music and Entertainment Industry Students Association (University of New Haven chapter) is launching a math rock showcase tonight at the University of New Haven’s German Club.  Even if you don’t necessarily need a math rock fix (or if you don’t really know exactly what math rock is), you should catch this bill.

The lineup is far-reaching and varied, and sees veterans of the game sharing the stage with fresher talent.  Giraffes? Giraffes! is a duo from Northampton, Massachusetts, and their juxtaposition of calculated twitching and expansive nigh post rock movements lifts the genre to rarely mined potential.  Like Nomads (West Warwick, RI) is a five piece that takes the traditional tapped guitar, stumbling rhythms, and stabs of dissonance, and adds warbling synths and lo-fi noodling – it’s a rather psychedelic angle, and it works.  Zona Mexicana (Purchase, NY) is a fast-moving onslaught of frenetic meter and kicks, side by side with layers of in-your-face vocals – something like math punk.  Good Citizens, a duo local to Connecticut, lets the tempo push and pull while keeping an incredibly tight guitar-drum chemistry; Full of Birdy (MA and RI) shares some of the same territory, but the thorny, "mathy" sections are dense and the open parts have an almost Primus-like twang to them.  Shrk Wk might have some of the densest movements to be found on the bill, and is probably the band most likely to cause a head banging-induced concussion.

The showcase is free, by the way.  So get down there at 7:30pm and see where some of the new voices in math rock are pushing the genre.

There are a lot of bands and some are traveling far, so the line-up may change only slightly (from bottom to top):

Giraffes? Giraffes!
Zona Mexicana
Like Nomads
Good Citizens
Shrk Wk
Full of Birdy

– The Deli Staff

"Nova Love" could be the most aptly-titled opener of the month.  A short snare fill and This Blue Heaven‘s latest effort, "Spinning and Shining," explodes to life.  It’s rowdy and dense, a lead piano line sparkling over tectonic guitar riffs and a powerful rhythm section.  There’s even a little extra time tacked onto the introduction for a little synth freakout.  And when the floor is finally cleared for MacKenzie Outlund’s vocals, it isn’t long before the band bursts in again and the energy is kicked back into, well, supernovaic proportions.

It’s clear as the EP progresses, though, that This Blue Heaven is finding new footing.  There’s a nice sense of space and pace throughout; the instruments are thoughtful in their involvement, and background layers support the production without making themselves overly obvious.  The song structures are effective – the songs guide or push, tumble or flow, and each has its own character.

The hooks fly fast and frequent; the verse of "Generous Soul" flirts and winks, while "A Serious Mistake" is a dizzying waltz that falls into what almost sounds like a barroom anthem.  If the melodies occasionally have trouble keeping up with the music, it only adds to the energy.  (Surely, these songs will find themselves as comfortable on a stage as in headphones.)  And although "Slow Dance Slow" will have the crowd reaching to get their lighters in the air, step back and pay attention to the gentle build and the bittersweet chorus melody.  The swell and culmination may be the most gratifying moment the band has crafted yet.

You can hear This Blue Heaven perform on Thursday at TT the Bear’s.  We should also mention that the rest of the bill is stellar!  See you there.

9pm Apollo Run (from Brooklyn)
10pm This Blue Heaven
11pm The Backup Factor
12pm Apple Betty

$8 cover charge

– Cullen Corley