Boston’s Yellabird know how to pack an incredible amount of energy into a short time-frame. Their latest effort, Little Brother, may only be comprised of five tracks, but each one will blow your mind–guaranteed. The guitar sound on this record is so fat and loud and the drums are so heavy, I’m constantly amazed that such intensity can come from only two people. I reviewed their previous EP, Mountainosaurus, and while those songs were all heavy in their own right, Little Brother raises the bar exponentially higher.

The highlight of this album for me is "Darlin’, Sugar", with its fast pace and face-melting guitar work. I’d compare them to Queens of the Stone Age, but after listening to their songs for even a minute, you’d probably already guess that, and I’m sure they’ve heard that plenty of times as well.

Be sure to check out the band’s Facebook page for updates about future shows and any other wicked cool stuff they might have going on.

-Dan McMahon (@dmcmhn)

 Pleasure Gap, a trio from the woody mountains of New Hampshire, have just release their new album “Tropical Barn”.  There’s definitely a rural coldness to their sound, aggressive and trippy mixed with a slight folk twang. Reminiscent of old school Modest Mouse mixed with The Violent Femmes, the record is full of incoherent shouts and yelps, emotional outpourings, clean tone guitars, and distorted bass.  Definitely give the track “Too Close” a listen; it’s a perfect intro to this psychedelic folk-rock outfit. Check out their new album here. – Paul Jordan Talbot

A few days ago, I wrote about Bent Shapes and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah performing at The Middle East Downstairs. Well, I went to the show last night and I was captivated by a band I had never heard of before. Bent Shapes and CYHSY both put on excellent sets, but Providence-based Arc Iris absolutely stole the show for me.

The five-piece group had everything you could want in a live performance–intense energy, appreciation for performing and incredible talent. As they were setting-up, I was perplexed as to what they might sound like. They brought two keyboards, drums, a stand-up bass, acoustic guitar, lap steel, banjo, trumpet and a trombone to the stage–quite an eclectic combination. Oh, and did I mention that they all dressed in white and had one member doing interpretive tap dancing to the music? They reminded me of some strange Jefferson Starship-meets-Ployphonic Spree hybrid, but with an even more unqiue sound.

I’m still struggling to process/describe what it is exactly that I saw last night, but their sound was something akin to a soul/folk/jazz amalgamation that absolutely blew my mind. They are currently on tour with CYHSY, so if you find that they are coming to a city near you, I implore you: go see this band. They will be well-worth your time.  

Their next gig is tonight at the Bowery Ballroom in NYC, followed by Metro Gallery in Baltimore. Check their Facebook for more information.

-Dan McMahon (@dmcmhn)

Alt-Country unit Girls Guns and Glory sing sentimental tunes about that timeless subject central to country music: Heartbreak. You wouldn’t need to understand a word to hear that. Lead Singer and guitarist Ward Henry has a passionate and vulnerable voice, singing more in the style of classic country singer Hank Williams than Henry’s contemporaries. Fittingly, they even recently played a whole set in September of Hank Williams tunes. These masterful musicians respect the history of their genre, and focus on delivering honest songs that both rock and pluck those heartstrings. Check out their new album “Sweet Nothings” and their Facebook here. – Paul Jordan Talbot

Boston locals Bent Shapes will be opening for well-known indie rockers Clap Your Hands Say Yeah tomorrow, October 1 at The Middle East Downstairs. Coming off of the release of their newest record, Feels Weird, their energy will be a great fit alongside the quirky stylings of CYHSY. Last I checked, tickets are still available, but act fast–this one could sell out. Doors at 8PM, tickets are $20 at the door. 18+, proper ID required.

-Dan McMahon (@dmcmhn)

Until recently we had forgotten how much fun dancing to folk music is. Boston Locals As the Sparrow refer to themselves as a “Folk-indie-swing” band, a genre that by itself sounds like a great result of the melting pot of American music. As The Sparrow is a unique and well-executed concept, and their album is a long dark ballad reminiscent of a more elegant and reserved 16 Horsepower.

Boston-based arts and culture organization The Boston Hassle is planning an awesome music festival on November 8 & 9 in Cambridge, MA and they’re looking for some community-minded individuals to contribute to the festivities. Over 40 bands will be showcasing their talents over those two days, including Lightning Bolt, Black Dice, Prince Rama and local favorites Fat Creeps. For more information, visit the organization’s Indiegogo page for the fest. You can also check out their Facebook page for updates about this festival and all of the other great shows The Boston Hassle puts on throughout the year.

-Dan McMahon (@dmcmhn)

Miss Geo is finally ready to put forth some glorious new electro-dance grooves, and I couldn’t be more excited about it. Their newest single, "Waves", is full of the fun, catchy melodies and snyth lines that I first came to enjoy when I reviewed a disc of theirs a couple of years ago. I can’t wait to hear what Miss Geo has planned for the rest of the album, but I’m sure it will be nothing short of wicked awesome. 

If you’re in the area, Miss Geo will be playing The Middle East Upstairs on October 21. Show starts at 8PM. Tickets are $10, 18+ with proper ID.

-Dan McMahon (@dmcmhn)

Herff Jones is a psychadellic band from the maritime town of Mystic, CT. Their style is eclectic but they seem to put out quality material no matter what genre they’re tackling. All of their music has psychedelic aspects, but that ranges from folk-punk, to hip hop, to post-rock. Their latest release “Equals EP” is mostly instrumental and very shoe-gaze influenced. The EP has really expansive textures and build-ups, and incorporates a cool blend of electronics and acoustic instruments. Part of it is a shame, since I’m such a fan of Joey Hilbert’s lyrics, but it just goes to show, the band is not relying on anyone part of their sound and always experimenting. Whether you want to check out their new-stuff or their older works, go here. – Paul Jordan Talbot

Calculatedly combative, Shakusky. just released their new album Lancaster Market. The spoken word vocals from Steven Arcieri are bleak at times, enlightened at others, and even sometimes hopeful, but always busy with vivid imagery and absurd leaps of logic. The Guitarists, Mark Hiller and Eli Albanese, have an interesting collaborative style. Instead of Lead and rhythm, they are “Left” and “Right” which results in a dense heavy sound when they double, and polyphonic intricate textures when they are picking and tapping in each ear. A really great emo-math sound, their album only came out this month, so check it out here. – Paul Jordan Talbot

The Sharpest make me pumped to be from New England. With the intricacies of Math Rock but the aggression of punk and noise, The Sharpest seem to have found a perfect recipe for something new. “Tophet Chasm” is an example of how much awesome music gets lost in the masses.  Switching between grooves and syncopation makes it hard to dance to (unless you just freak out like me), but definitely not hard to listen to. They grab your ear with rhythmic play between the drum-set and guitar. Everytime you’re about to zone out, they smack you with something new. The vocals have a really unique sound too, drenched in distortion, reverb, and chorus but less pretty than Shoegaze vocals.  Check out their album, here. – Paul Jordan Talbot

Looking for something wicked awesome to do this weekend? Head on over to Ringer Park in Allston for the Allston DIY Fest IV this Saturday, August 24. Amidst a sea of red tape and permits, the Fest was finally granted approval recently and it is shaping-up to be one heck of a weekend. Saralee, Kid Mountain and Box of Birds are among the twenty-two performers that will be sharing two stages throughout the day.

In addition to live music, workshops and skillshares will be taking place on topics ranging from “The Sexual Politics of Meat” to bike repairs. A variety of local groups, including Hollaback! Boston, will have tables set-up, so be sure to stop by and say hello!

For more info, check out the Fest’s Facebook page here. 

 -Dan McMahon (@dmcmhn)