Prior to their November 2011 EP release, Adventure Set haven’t felt a pulse since the mid 1980s. In their heyday as contenders in Boston’s altrock scene, the band reached second place in the WBCN Rock and Roll Rumble, an annual battle of the bands hosted by the renowned and now-defunct radio station. Soon followed a hiatus in which the members pursued careers and other musical endeavors.

The 5-song EP Centuries to Go draws heavily from the New Wave vein– it’s in Ken Scales’ beguiling, looming vocals and Mark Pothier’s arty lyrics– as if Scales and Pothier weren’t quite finished with whatever business they left behind in the eighties. Saying that they are stuck in the past would be inaccurate. The songs from Centuries to Go are more precise and keyboard-driven than their older material. Stereo Hands opens the album in an upbeat and eerie way with hints of David Bowie peeking his way through Scale’s vocals as he sings about the limitations in using technology to communicate. Fueled by synths and an energetic catchiness, Paler Faces is the most dynamic track of the five, making the most out of both the electronic and pop aspects of Adventure Set’s style.

The EP’s biggest upset is that it takes almost no risks as each song follows the formula until it reaches the average four-minute mark just as expectedly as the last one. It would be great to hear Scales and Pothier take their material a step further and see what else can be explored with their jaunty New Wave-flavored pop.

–Sarah Ruggiero

New England doom rock trio Black Pyramid will release its long awaited sophomore album Black Pyramid II on Jan. 31, 2012 via MeteorCity Records.

Recorded at Black Coffee Sound and mixed by Justin Pizzoferrato (Sonic Youth / Witch / Dinosaur Jr), the record features nine tracks of the band’s self-titled "galloping war metal". Known for its dynamic sound that blends towering riff cosmos with magnetic psychedelic rock, Black Pyramid has been turning heads in the underground music scene since its formation in late 2007.

Black Pyramid II is available for advance purchase here.

–The Deli Staff

Lowell trio Big Mess put out two new songs in October to follow up their self-titled release this past January. MOLD is twelve minutes of ominous, instrumental doom metal marching through a downpour of sludge. As opposed to their first album, which mixed in bluesy rock parts, MOLD adheres to a slow and straightforward brand of hardcore. Heaviness builds up in the desolate Side A and then trudges off to the dirge’s conclusion, and crunchy guitar distortion bookend Drone Bee.

–Sarah Ruggiero

It’s no secret that The Hush Now love the holidays. The Boston-based rock outfit treats its fans to a song for pretty much every major holiday. This season is no exception. Deciding that New Year’s was a lonely holiday when it came to songs, they sat down and penned their latest gift to us all: Happy New Year, Dear.

Take a listen to the track below and head over to their Bandcamp to download it for free.

–Chrissy Prisco

When I first listened to Peace Love & Alienation, without knowing a thing about The Prefab Messiahs, I thought I had downloaded the wrong album by mistake. This was real garage-pop from the 80’s. After a brief peruse of the internet, I came to the conclusion that these guys are the longest-lived band to last only two years (1981-1983). Three ambitious Clark U. undergrads with barebones rigs, no money, and a lot to say combined punk, surf-rock, and garage-pop to create an unaccredited style of lo-fi pop-rock that is still relevant 30 years later,

Peace Love & Alienation brings together 8 newly remastered tracks, including both tracks produced by Bobb Trimble, that show the versatility Prefab Messiahs had in their heyday. With a strong influence from post-punk innovators “Swell Maps,” Prefab Messiahs coin a sound of their own. It’s as if the Ramones teamed up with Joy Division, took some LSD, listened to The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds, and then decided to write an album. The Album starts off with two of my favorite songs Beyond All That and Cousin Artie. In each of these songs we hear everything from surf-rock guitar licks, analog synth, punk chord progressions, and psychedelic refrains and bridges.

Then comes Prefab Messiahs’ most “famous” song, Desperately Happy. Catchy and fun reverb-soaked vocals over a simple but grooving, slightly out of tune, guitar line make this song an instant classic for any and every Prefab fan. Their creativity is certainly showcased in the next 50-second track, Prefab Dub. What was an eclectic instrumental grooving heady dub song doing in the middle of a post-punk compilation album? I’m not sure, but I listened to this short track three times in a row as any doubts that I had about this band being way ahead of their time vanished.

I suggest all music fans buy or at least check out this album. Especially for all those lo-fi, modern garage-punkers out there (fans of Wavves, Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, etc.) who might find some satisfaction in listening to the roots, this is a must-have album.

–Michael Giordano

On her album Starry-Eyed, singer-songwriter Annalise Emerick blends folk music with pop sensibilities as she crafts melodies as pretty as her name. The album follows the story of a young woman who learns to stand her own ground and rely on herself, but without sounding jaded. Emerick opens the album with You Win, a breakup song to her dear Nashville– the city that became the takeoff point for her career as a singer-songwriter. In the beginning, she admits she was “starry-eyed and full of hope,” but when she gets her heart broken, she knows better than to let others get the best of her.

With its innocent and thoughtful lyricism, Starry-Eyed focuses some of its attention on looking back, like in I Came Around, which analyzes the should-haves of life and love and shows off Emerick’s tough side. But more importantly, the core of the album is about moving forward. Emerick has the soul of a traveller, and she’s not afraid to pick her life up and go when she needs to; She’s a Texan who has settled down in Nashville and Seattle before planting her roots in Boston, at least for the moment.

Annalise Emerick — A Runner and a Singer

–Sarah Ruggiero

From the first chord to the last swells of feedback, Crashing Cars latest release, Coming Alive to Fall Asleep, is an invigorating ride on a rock rollercoaster. Their sound spans everything from Nirvana and Modest Mouse, to Foo Fighters, At the Drive-In and even subtle hints of Death Cab and Elliott Smith. It also became quite apparent to me that lead vocalist Jon Kohen must be an avid Kurt Cobain fan. At the end of Something to Burn, I’d swear Kohen was channeling Kurt from beyond the grave with an “All Apologies”-esque scream.  I thoroughly enjoyed songs like Empty Seas and My Mind–a track that any fan of Elliott Smith (or just music in general) would be sure to love. The somber cello line really thickens the mix and provides a perfect accompaniment to Kohen’s vocals.

My favorite song would have to be the title track. I loved the slow Modest-Mouse type build-up into an At the Drive-In surge of emotion and power. I found their use of dynamics on this track (and throughout the entire album), to be quite excellent.

Overall, Coming Alive to Fall Asleep is a great album. It was nice to finally hear a band making honest garage rock instead of Micro-Korg driven dance beats. From what I could find online, they have no upcoming dates, but head over to their bandcamp page and give them a listen. You won’t be disappointed.

–Daniel McMahon

The Fagettes (no, that isn’t a typo) will be performing live at Ralph’s Rock Diner in Worcester, MA this coming Friday, December 2^nd. Hailing from Allston, MA, the group combines garage, punk and a tinge of the blues in an effort to resurrect the 60s garage punk scene. If you’re a fan of 60s rock (and how could you not be), go check out The Fagettes this Friday alongside The Jitters,Radio Control, and Cooling Towers. Show starts at 9pm.

–Daniel McMahon

Cascading guitars and energetic riffs introduce the title track of Before the Day, the ten-song album from Old Abode, a band hailing from North Hampton, New Hampshire. The album’s overall sound is smooth pop-rock, and the overall vibe is uplifting and peaceful. Singer Shea Ellis is a capable and pleasant-sounding vocalist, and his guitar work is eloquent throughout.

The band cite The Beatles as well as My Morning Jacket and Band of Horses as some of their biggest influences, but while they identify themselves as an indie rock group, they prove to have an affinity for a diverse set of musical styles: bluegrass twang, epic guitar solos, and even a cameo by the mandolin,

Northern Sky shows off an intricate mandolin part as well as folky guitars, making it one of the album’s standout tracks. Ellis serenades his muse, “Elusive Aurora / She came to me on a summer breeze / Whispering right through the trees.” This song segues into Leaves, a continuation of Ellis entwining a romanticized nature with his various muses.

Old Abode manage to throw down a surprise at the very end of the album with 314, the punchiest tune of the album. The band show their funky side as Ellis sings, “The coward sits in silence / Quietly plotting his revenge / To those who left him in defiance / And pushed him over that pathological, psychological edge.” The song lasts nearly seven minutes, but it’s exactly the kind of jam session that would still have heads bobbing even if it were twice as long.

–Sarah Ruggiero

According to the band’s bandcamp bio, Connecticut’s Chillingsworth brings “excitement and fun energy to every show they play” and from the first chord of their EP, Sir Roger, one can easily hear why that very may well be the case. The EP is full of energetic drumbeats and catchy, upbeat melodies. Traces of jazz and ska are woven throughout each track, probably most obviously heard in the final track, Stay Fly. The vocals remind me of Matt Skiba or possibly Geoff Farina, singer of Karate. 

I found myself listening to the opening track, Cloud, and feeling an overwhelming urge to get up and dance.  The use of bells is very prominent throughout the track making them a nice addition to the song, adding a poppy layer to their jazz-infused sound. There are moments on the track where one can hear Vampire Weekend peeking through the melodies. This leads me to believe that Chillingsworth has a solid grasp on how to make a good pop song.

Overall, I was very pleased with this release. I think the band has a great jazz-pop sound, which can most certainly appeal to a wide audience. I am interested to see what they come up with next and would definitely recommend checking these guys out next time they come around your hometown.

–Daniel McMahon

Fear Nuttin Band is a reggae outfit from Boston who are creating a genre of their own. By infusing dancehall, the consciousness of Hip Hop, with a dabble of alternative and heavy metal, Fear Nuttin Band is musically diverse and intricate from other reggae bands. You can certainly preview a taste of this musical diversity on the band’s album, Move Positive.

All thirteen tracks include heavy acoustic guitar, positive vibrations in which you want to sway side-to-side, or run to a live show of theirs to witness them live in action. Each track, especially Move Positive, tells a great and real story about standing up and partaking in the positive things that life has to offer, even if life throws curveballs from time to time. Another great single on the album, Rebel, is a redemption song that tells a story about being a leader within, instead of being a follower, and not being a slave to fads of the world.

The band’s mission is to "Unify the music, unify the people." If you are an aficionado of dancehall, hip hop, and alternative music, you will definitely feel, understand, and vibe to the unification of the musical fusion of Fear Nuttin Band.

You can catch them tomorrow night, Nov. 23, at Ironhorse Music Hall in Northampton MA with Zamia. 10pm, All Ages.

Fear Nuttin Band – Rebel

–Andrea Camille