Song Premiere: The Michael Character Schools Us on Political Punk and Wants You to Get Over It



Quick vignettes and radical folk songs.(photo credit Michelle Lisbeth)

Google “The Michael Character” and expect to find featured reviews in prominent indie music blogs, a social calendar littered with gigs, an official Reddit band of the month nomination, and yourself with a serious case of early-stage FOMO. Referred to by journalists as “a prolific folk punker” and “(legitimate) activist”*, The Michael Character appears to be the greatest addition to folk punk that you never knew existed.

Frank Turner is Omnipresent - Will Be at 3 Newbury Comics Locations on 9/26 at 2PM

Where in Boston is Frank Turner?

Singer, songwriter and man who defies logic, Frank Turner will apparently be at three Newbury Comics locations on Saturday, September 26th at 2pm. Per bandsintown.com, Turner will be at both the Faneuil Hall and the Newbury Street locations depending on which copy you're looking at. While Newburycomics.com claims he'll be the Harvard Square store. Newbies does love their Scavenger Hunts.

Regardless, Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls will be at the House of Blues in Boston on Friday, September 25th and Saturday, September 26th.'Positive Songs For Negative People' is out now on iTunes and in a store near you.

UPDATE 1:01 PM: We have confirmation that Frank Turner will be at the Harvard Square location (36 John F. Kennedy St, Cambridge, MA) on Saturday, September 26th at 2PM. #mysterysolved

Hipsters Go Home, Antique Records Wins. Limited Edition Sledding With Tigers Swag on Pre-Sale Now.

Hurry. Special sale ends at 4PM EST 1/16/15.

We're fairly certain Boston indie label, Antique Records, is including digital downloads of Sledding With Tigers' single "A Floppy Disk Worth Of A Song" on actual floppy disks.

The limited edition, numbered disks are available in various pre-order bundles of SWT's first ever vinyl pressing of Not the Beatles Yet (limit to 300). Place your order at Antique Records before 4PM EST today (1/16/15) and you could also get an equally limited edition (some say never to be printed again), Vonnegut inspired T-shirt*.

Not The Beatles Yet is set to be available on January 27, 2015. The 14-track album includes previously released tracks, studio cuts and live sample tracks. Stream the first single from the release, "Quit Yr Job", below.

*Bundle inclusions vary, see website for details.

Close Out Your Summer With "Gwen Stacy"

Stream single "Gwen Stacy" on Bandcamp today.

If the Cure could collaborate with Arctic Monkeys, “Gwen Stacy” would be that posh and electric love child. The single off of A-C-K by Burlington, VT singer-songwriter and frontman for folk rock outfit Bandleader, Patrick McCormack, is on point with a sleek and sophisticated sound, fitting for roof top cocktail parties to backyard barbeques, available pre-release for your listening pleasures, and an ideal addition to your vacation outro playlist.

OTP "Worth The Weight" 7" Record Release Show

Hey kids, how about a free record release show?

Boston folk/punk band OTP will be celebrating the release of their 7” entitled Worth The Weight with a free, 21+ record release show at The Lilypad in Cambridge on Friday, August 1st along with The Lousy Instruments. See full details on the official Facebook event page.

The 4-song EP is the band's fourth album. When we talked to OTP back in the fall of 2013, they foresaw the 7" as a bit punchier than their previous work. “Distortion has become a big part of OTP's vocabulary,” confirms frontman Colin Garrity on the latest songs. Worth The Weight will have a sister album entitled Worth The Wait (we see what you did there), however with a lineup change and releases trending towards EPs rather than full-lengths, OTP is still in the decision making process for their next record, tentatively scheduled for later this year.

Worth The Weight is available to stream now on Bandcamp and will be available for purchase online and in stores in August. In the mean time, you can grab a free download of their recently released punk cover of Elliot Smith’s “Twilight”, on Bandcamp today.

2014 Granite State Music Festival

Get your tickets for the 2-day New Hampshire music festival.

Head to Concord, New Hampshire June 21 and 22 for the Granite State Music Festival. This year’s bands include Lucius (NY), Adam Ezra Group (MA), Kingsley Flood (MA), Tristan Omand (NH) and more.

In addition to live entertainment, the non profit organization offers the new Kid Zone, an activity and music area for kids 16 and under, locally sourced food and a solar powered beer tent and beer garden along the beautiful Merrimack River.

For complete event information, please visit the official Granite State Music Festival website. Buy your tickets now.

Music Through the Pen of Sketch Artist Louis Roe

"Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow. Sing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories. Write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem. Do it as well as you possibly can. You will get an enormous reward. You will have created something."
~Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

The Boston scene is in no way perfect, but it does expand beyond literal music, constantly evolving to feature new artistic forms of appreciation and participation by way of writers, photographers, bakers, clothing makers and sketch artists like Louis Roe.

Somerville PorchFest 2014

Somerville Porchfest May 17th 12-6p.

On Saturday, May 17th musicians and bands throughout Somerville will celebrate and utilize an underused public venue: The Porch. Acts—ranging from bollywood funk, cosmic americana, killer blues, Moroccan, Balkan, gospel, American space rock and clawhammer banjo—will serenade passersby from porches throughout Somerville fo’ free.

There are three time slots are based on three quadrants of the city; east to Central will be 12-2; Central to Willow will be 2-4; west of Willow 4-6.

Preview the bands, get an idea of what your Saturday itinerary should look like and play around with an interactive map at the official Somerville Arts Council’s website.

Some of our favorite names this year are “Lonely Winter Hill Hammered Dulcimer Club (of One)” at 11 Fenwick St. (12-2p), “Grump Old Men’s Old Time String Band” at 10 Willow Ave. (2-4) and “The Parking Tickets” at 242 Willow Ave. (2-4).

Oh and then there are these punks covering Toto's "Africa" at 5 Forster St. (12-2p).

Your Rock 'N' Roll Rumble Semifinalists

The Semi-finals of the Rock 'N' Roll Rumble happen 4/17 & 4/18

After an invigorating round of preliminaries involving twenty-four premier Boston bands, eight move onto the Semi-final round of the 35th Annual Rock 'N' Roll Rumble at TT the Bear's, hosted by Anngelle Wood of 100.7 WZLX Boston Emissions. Meet your Semifinalists, and our predictions for Finalist material.

The Roadside Dolls Hitchhike onto Our Radar

Grab your free download of Boston's The Roadside Dolls today.

Let the proverbial needle drop for 10 minutes as the nostalgic music of Boston’s The Roadside Dolls drifts through your living room like an inconspicuous breeze.

Rock 'N' Roll Rumble Class of 2014

The 'World Series of Boston Rock' begins April 6th

The Rock 'N' Roll Rumble Class of 2014 was officially announced on air last night during WZLX's Boston Emissions With Anngelle Wood. This is one stacked list. 'Full Boat' 9-day passes are still available. With such a stellar lineup, you pretty much have to go to every show. 24 Bands. 9 Nights. 1 Crown.

Patrick Simas - Sweaty Acoustic Folk Punk From Southeastern, MA

Patrick screams punk songs at bars and in basements and we like him.

From the depths of the South Shore comes the lion-hearted, iron-willed Patrick Simas, a one-man show of oi, punk and acoustic bar songs, and he’s ready to bleed and break some strings.

WMBR's Pipeline Has A Special Announcement to Make

WMBR's Pipeline scheduled to play a special broadcast at a special time

WMBR’s Pipeline, a weekly two-hour broadcast dedicated to unearthing the “newest and localest” tunes New England has to offer, broadcasted from the MIT campus and hosted by the man, the myth, the legend, DJ Jeff Breeze, has a special announcement to make.

#BandcampRoulette

Here's a little jam by Boston's Só Sol that's as quaint as the snow on your windowsill. "A Good Place" off the band's 2012 Bereavement EP is as coffeehouse as we can get. For the love of wax, someone put them on vinyl! Catch Só Sol with Somerville's horror-surf rock outfit, Beware the Dangers of a Ghost Scorpion, next Monday (1/27) at Zuzu for a free Monday night show.

Play Bandcamp Roulette.

Bandleader Produces a Few Gems with ‘Coal, Pressure, Time’

Vermont's Bandleader combines folk, indie and rock in 'Coal, Pressure, Time'

There is something inherently vintage with Vermont bands. From 60’s surf rock of Vultures of Cult to the 70’s groove of the Persian Claws, and now the funk infused folk rock of Bandleader, the Green Mountain State boasts bands that warp time into modern sounds. Written with strict principals of simplicity and purpose, while challenging their technical abilities, Burlington, Vermont folk rock band, Bandleader, produces a few gems with their 2013 debut record, Coal, Pressure, Time.

OTP – This is a Drinking Challenge

Boston's folk punk band, OTP, plays to a packed Middle East Club on 11.2.13 (image credit)

The generous crowd at the Halloween Hangover VIII at The Middle East last Saturday night was anything but hungover.

OTP (an ambiguous acronym - do with it what you may), hosted a good time, playing Misfits covers and traditional Boston barroom-style sing-along songs off of their 2010 EP, The Folly of Time Travel, 2011 record, Where We’re Found, the most recent 2012 EP, Full Mouth, as well as unreleased tracks.

The Color and Sound – The Kids Just Want to Have Fun

I often point out that a huge downside to a band’s overall experience is the lack of energy needed to compliment their sound during a live performance. Not is the case with Boston area indie/folk/pop band, The Color and Sound. In fact, after the Sunday night O’Brien’s show, I’d say they brought enough dynamism for the next five stationary acts to hit Allston Rock City.

Area college kids might just lose their minds,
The Color and Sound bring a riot of indie/folk/pop sound to Boston.

American Thread - Music For A Heavy Heart

American Thread offers middle America folk rock with
Boston area influences

Whether you've lost that one person who was able to steal a piece of your heart or just found yourself sitting at the end of a lonely bar, the songs from American Thread's 2013 album, Killing Days, define the emotional life experiences of the everyman. Like that of Bob Dylan, Billy Bragg and fellow New England singer/song writer Tristan Omand, this Boston folk rock band utilizes the story telling-style of Middle American music and brings it home by including regional landmarks. With poetic lyrics, American Thread emulates that gritty atmosphere of callous covered disparity we associate so well with blue colored communities, and depicts the heavy heart of a worn down soul and the resilience of the working class.

Notable tracks: 4. Wedding Day, 6. Fisherman's Lullabye, 8. Parade, 10. Directions to Heaven

Killing Days is available to stream and as a free download on Bandcamp. Follow American Thread on Facebook and Twitter for upcoming show dates, including Friday, April 12th  at The Tinker's Son in Norwell, MA and May 18th at All Asia Cafe, Cambridge, MA.

Rock Out With Your Cocktail Out Vol. V

"Ladies, I don't usually drink liquor when I got out, but I need a gin and tonic, like right now," said more than one of my friends on multiple occasions. However way you justify it, after a long week, stop making tough decisions and go for a reliable cocktail. Then press play on your November Spotify playlist and chill the fuck out. Also grab your free Paper + Plastick fall sampler download, available for a limited time. Advice and free stuff, I'm your best friend.

The Folk Punk Ruckus of Larry And His Flask

Lately I’ve been digging the supporting acts as much, if not more, than the headliners. Cadence Weapon during the Japandroids show, Math the Band on tour with Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, and as of Friday, Larry and His Flask at the Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls show, September 7th, Royale, Boston.

I'm a sucker for an double bass - Larry and His Flask