Anyone in a band ought to be wincing at this story, which, this being Nashville, should be everybody (except you, Dad.) Josephine and the Wildfront, Artist of the Month Winners from this summer, have recently experienced a devastating loss.

Their Minimoog synthesizer, a $5000 gift and essential 4th member of the band, was ruined the first time it was plugged in while setting up at the Springwater Supper Club on November 15th. To quote from their website: “When we plugged in, the Moog was fried instantly. The screen began blinking, and was unresponsive. We turned it off, unplugged, and tried again, to no avail.”

It seems that was the day the venue/restaurant had their building rewired, and an electrician had been making trips to fix problems as the band was loading in. After an amp belonging to Creature Comfort, another band performing that night, stopped working after being plugged in, and Josephine herself was electrocuted by her own guitar, the gig was cancelled.

The matter is still unresolved; at the moment the band has sent Springwater asking for the amount of damages, and waiting for a response. If you’d like to show your support and wish to prevent the band from digging themselves deeper into the hole by selling their van, visit https://josephineandthewildfront.bandcamp.com/merch and buy a piece of merch. “Noose” is the first track off their EP, “Swallowed by the Ocean,” which, coincidentally, is exactly what your sister wants for Christmas. –Terra James-Jura

If you ever have to ask yourself whether or not you should stay for the rest of the show, the best practice is to just. Stay. The cat is not going to starve, your problems will not be solved by returning to your hovel half an hour earlier. Really, if your cat was worth a rip, it would figure out how to solve them for you.

Those 30 minutes are better spent seeing The Dead Towns for the first time at Exit/In last Sunday, 12/8. Taking the stage after Georgia boys Silver Palms, and the always entertaining Them Vibes, The Dead Town’s set was sharp and bouncy, and played like a mixtape dedicated to every skate punk bands in California in 1982. Their self-titled summer release offers a slight departure from what I witnessed, leaning closer to Brandon Flowers than Jello Biafra. Its still a slick collection of tunes; "Permanent Midnight" is loaded with the same personality that won me over at Exit/In.  Here’s hopes that 2014 is a good year for these boys.  -Terra James-Jura

Winter is here and though it’s time to bust out your itchy sweaters and worn-out Neil Young records, you don’t have to completely give up on the summer party vibes just yet. METH DAD, brain-baby of the wild child with a smile, Tyler Walker, is pumping out the perfect music to fight the cold. Walker’s latest release, "Posi Vibes," is a synth-pop explosion drenched in Fun Dip and Pixie Sticks. As of recently, METH DAD has been known to include a full band in his outlandish live performances, often featuring huge props and, of course, glittery man thongs. METH DAD ships out for tour on the 21st, but Walker is known to stay pretty busy so I wouldn’t be surprised if you’ll have a few chances to catch a show before then. -Michael Perry

Nashville pop group The Daily Howl closed out the Ugly-X-Mas Sweater Show at The High Watt last Sunday Night with an energized set full of pogo-bouncing and hip-snapping. Their take on cautious, “Button-Up-Rock” (as I like to call it), reminded me of an even more radio friendly version of Jet, and who knows, you might be hearing the title track off their latest EP "Revolver" at Titans’ kickoffs, instead of the Melbourne rockers. The Daily Howl has been causing some buzz around town lately and just had a short clip of “Revolver” on ABC’s “Nashville” on December 4th. Although I don’t buy into The Daily Howl’s self-proclaimed title as the “Revival of Nashville Garage Rock” (because how do you revive the living?), they do know how to have fun on stage and subsequently create a good time for everyone. -Michael Perry

“Long Way Round” by More Hazards More Heroes is a tune about unrecognized love from their July release “Cabin Fever”. It starts mellow and builds bittersweet intensity, and the acoustic arpeggio being thumbed throughout caught my ear so hard, I sat cocking my head like the RCA dog. The duo is down sold with the description of “good honest folk,” as there is something undeniably funky to them. A folk band does not mention ‘cops, narcs, and snitches’ in the same song, nor employ a coronet in the bridge. More Hazards More Heroes is closer to tossing Andre 3000 a banjo. -Terra James-Jura

After nearly a year of working on their first full-length release, local alt-punk group Blue Matches is set to drop their hefty 17-track album "Starting Over" on December 10th. Blue Matches invoke the raw energy of The Distillers and wrap it in an accessible pop blanket.  "Starting Over" ranges from upbeat pop-punk numbers like “Down and Out” to more laid-back tracks with string accompaniments, like “Tumbleweed.” You can catch Blue Matches at their upcoming album release show with Arkansas Elvis and The Simpletons at The Rutledge on December 13th! -Michael Perry

Clear Plastic Masks have released this video for their first single “Baby Come On.” It’s a bluesy testament to the soul-deep gratification of the late night. They have a four-song EP with an album in the works to be released early 2014, and critics are already slobbering over them. The band first sprouted in the depths of Brooklyn, NY, and carries to Tennessee the haze of that one golden year at the start of the millennium when it was okay for your band’s name to start with “The-.” But Clear Plastic Masks go so far beyond garage rock, employing all necessary noise and feedback to get their point across. They have a messy righteousness that is shared by drunks on the stumble home: veering, sweaty, incoherent, but completely assured that their aim is true. They are currently on tour with the Alabama Shakes, with more dates to be added, so keep an eye out for a Nashville show. –Terra James-Jura

Congratulations to The Dirty Things for winning our Artist of the Month poll! The three-piece of Jeremy Bryant and brothers Jim and Dane Wes have been gathering tremendous momentum since their formation less than a year ago. Between their raw talent and (possibly substance-driven) initiative, who knows what heights they will reach in their relentless pursuit in becoming the baddest of the bad.  I am still not sure whether they should have been penalized for offering "sexy pics of Dane" to fans in exchange for votes.  Anyway, slip on some latex gloves before clicking on “Women, Cocaine and Booze,” and be prepared to hear much more about the The Dirty Things in 2014. –Terra James-Jura

http://www.thedirtythings.com/main/Home.html

Because this was my first trip to Boheme Collectif I was a bit apprehensive when I turned to the corner to find my destination seemed to be a large garage, but once inside my fears of a wasted five bucks were long gone. All sorts of electronic creations and sound manipulation devices were scattered around the room, and the best part was that it was completely interactive. It was like going to a museum, but instead of the ushers confining you with ropes, they were pushing you towards the piece. Still trying to soak up all the wacky inventions, I followed the music up the stairs and slid my way through the crowd up to the front.

It’s hard to describe a band with such an elusive sound like Chalaxy, because nearly every song fringes upon a new genre. Opening with a rhythmic, pulsing bongo line, Chalaxy launched into an instrumental tribal number, incorporating all sorts of synthesizers and audio samples. Chalaxy stayed true to the theme of Future Night and busted out all sorts of electronics, including the nicest theremin I’ve ever seen. Where Chalaxy’s genre blending failed was when their rock’n’roll songs became exhaustingly familiar. The songs were solid, but not nearly as original as the instrumentals. The band was much more exciting when the frontman was pounding on a bongo or dancing with his tambourine, than playing guitar. Chalaxy’s multifaceted approach is definitely one of a kind; I just hope I get some more bongo next time I see them. -Michael Perry

Nathan Conrad (i.e. the hip-hop wordsmith behind Spoken Nerd) is prepping for a show on December 1st at Café Coco. This would be a prime destination to set your head right after a holiday weekend, as nothing clears the negativity of longstanding family disputes and Black Friday mob action like mad beats. Conrad is planning for a CD release show in the near-ish future, meaning that there is a brand new album waiting patiently to be unleashed upon the world (a fresh single is available for free download here.) After winning a recent Artist of the Month poll, I had to interrogate him with questions based off of this moniker.  Read it HERE, and then listen to his inadvertent homage to No-Shave November "Big Beards." -Terra James-Jura

Underneath the fashionably burgeoning Nashville rock scene lies a community of pissed-off kids. Luckily for us all that hate is being channeled into songwriting. Although local hardcore bands only receive a fraction of the media buzz that more “marketable” acts get, Orthodox is on track to put Nashville back on the map for heavy music. Orthodox’s relentless grooves and growling vocals mesh into a powerful, energizing assault on their latest LP "End of My Wit" (which is available for free download at their bandcamp). Imagine the in-your-face tenacity of XBishopX stirred in with First Blood’s unforgiving animosity. I’ll admit, Orthodox had me reminiscing on the days of being dropped off in front of The Anchor or The Muse to see some of Nashville’s old reigning hardcore heavyweights like Contender and Hollywood.

If you’re getting bored with the swelling tide of singer/songwriters or pseudo-psych bands, you can delve into the undercurrent and catch Orthodox at The Owl Farm on 12/13. -Michael Perry

Nathan Reich is another guy with a guitar, so the burden of proof is on him to stand out in the great unwashed rabble of his peers. He has his deep voice and somber lyrical material on his side, and a handle on the seriocomic that allows him to dig into the heavy stuff without being insufferable. “Better Off Dead” from his most recent release, “All Night Pharmacy” showcases his ability to turn a phrase and sound like Stephin Merritt. If you can’t appreciate his candor in the chorus “I think we’re better off dead,” at least get a grin from Reich calling Broadway “God’s little hallway.” –Terra James-Jura