Spin a recent Mr. Vertigo record and be prepared to hear a project that might include up to dozen people, about 20 instruments and roughly a decade of collaborative experience. The alt-rock band (existing in one form or another since 2002) will be celebrating the release of their 7th official record entitled ‘Dreaming on the Left Side’ Friday, July 8th at O'Brien's Pub in Allston.
State Line Records has released an 18-track, local music compilation based on the Boston’s Burning semi-annual punk rock show series and includes contributions from artists such as Dan Webb & The Spiders, The Old Edison, Duck & Cover, Rebuilder, Diablogato and more.
Label founder Mark Lind (Ducky Boys, The Warning Shots) took to Facebook to announce the free download.
“Do you like Boston bands? Do you like discovering NEW Boston bands? Well, this FREE download comp is for you. I collected enough songs to complete two comps and then some. This is Boston's Burning Volume 1 on my label, State Line Records. You need to listen to it in full to really enjoy the flow of the various bands. Stream it. Download it and listen when you can. But if you hear any band that you really like then please support them by buying their proper albums or by seeing them play live. Rock n' roll music is dead and none of us sound like Kanye West. We need to spread the word to keep rock n' roll alive. So I'm doing my part. Will you do yours?”
'State Line Records Boston’s Burning Vol. 1' is available for free on Bandcamp.
As a follow up to their 2015 'Ride the Surf'' LP, Today Junior has dropped two singles at a complimentary "Name Your Price" cost on Bandcamp. "Leaving Easy" and "Blunt Breath" have the surf / garage sound you have come to expect from the trio, getting you ready for the summer, but more immediately, their set at Firebrand Saints in Kendall Square, Cambridge on April, 16th - part of dream pop band Guillermo Sexo's 'Eclipse' release show also featuring The Furniture and Jeff Beam Music. Full event details here. Follow Today Junior on Facebook and Twitter for even more show information.
Mercury On Mars has joined up with Ocelot Records for their latest album due out this summer. The 2015 Rock ‘n’ Roll Rumble band is offering their 2014 release ‘Be The One’ for free on Bandcamp in celebration of the partnership.
Ocelot Records will be working with the alt-rock band to release their new album and to bring a back-catalog of albums into the future with streaming services such as Spotify, Apple, Amazon, Google, Youtube and more.
Mercury On Mars joins a growing list of acts on the Ocelot label including fellow 2015 Rumble band Psychic Dog, two current #classof2016 Rumblers, The Digs and Idle Pilot, and Boston Music Award winner DCDR. Discover more bands on the official label website. And follow Mercury on Mars and Ocelot Records on Facebook for additional information.
Upcoming Mercury on Mars Shows:
March 19th - Aeronaut Brewing Company, Somerville MA
April 29th - Jacque’s Underground, Boston MA
Penalty Kill, Viva La Hop and Krill walk into a bar... Listen to the encompassing 'Masshole'.
Roughly a year in the making, NYC transplant mashup artist Terrible (AKA Max Schaffer) has put the finishing touches on his 20 minute mix comprised entirely of local music; 93 bands, 138 sources, and 1 cameo by Frank Oglesby (the voice of the T) to be exact.
Eye Design, the curator of “Treat yo Self” and “Show Love” multimedia industry nights, is set to introduce a monthly discovery event entitled “Know Your Scene” at Firebrand Saints in Kendall Square, Cambridge. The free, ALL-AGES, event will feature two local bands as well as a complimentary custom poster created by a local artist and digital downloads from the participating musical acts.
The inaugural night takes place on Saturday, March 26th with 2015 Rock ‘n’ Roll Rumble winner Zip-Tie Handcuffs and Idiot Genes. Event details here.
“[Know Your Scene] is a chance for people to discover local bands and art for free, which hopefully leads to people following these artists and going to more of their shows,” explains Eye Design founder Ian McGregor.
Those interested in getting involved with “Know Your Scene” can email Ian at showlove@eyedesignma.com.
Details around the first three events have been released (see below). Follow Eye Design on Facebook and Twitter for additional event announcements including the anticipated Halloween and year-end NYE celebrations.
Firebrand Saints is located at 1 Broadway, directly across the street from the Kendall Square T stop, features free parking and kitchen open until 11PM.
Slacker garage rock band Black Hatch is streaming the latest single to come out of Merrimack, New Hampshire. Stream / download / mosh to your copy of “The Wizzard” via Bandcamp right now for free (at a name your price donation).
You can see Black Hatch at PA's Lounge in Somerville on April 2nd with Jamie Farnan, Mindset X, The Heavy Howl and Japanese Monster (presented by WEMF). Follow the band on Facebook for additional release information and show announcements.
Worcester-based startup label, Honest Face Records, is offering its latest production, a moody 4-song split with progressive indie/emo bands, oldsoul (Lowell) and Speirs (Rochester, NY), on Bandcamp at a name your price donation.
A label that doesn’t necessarily “sign” bands, Honest Face releases enjoyable music that needs to be heard, without requiring any long-term agreement from the bands. Honest. Their current list of affiliate artists include several acts of the indie, rock, alt, punk, and/or emo variety including oldsoul, Sleeping Patterns, and JANK (PA).
'For Free!' will be available for free download on December 31st.
It is with our unwavering pleasure that we present to you “A Girl From Quincy” by Art Thieves.
Working on their material under the radar, Bishop & Rook caught Art Thieves earlier this year in their natural South Shore habitat (RIP Beachcomber) and gave our stamp of approval. It was the band’s on stage chemistry and thoroughly entertaining live set that later earn them a spot in the Boston Scene Party Showcase.
“A Girl From Quincy” is off the band’s debut 10-track record entitled ‘For Free!’, available as a free digital download on December 31st. Listen to a few per-released songs on Soundcloud now. See Art Thieves on February 13th at O'Brien’s Pub in Allston with Warn the Duke (NYC), The Warning Shots, and You Scoundrel. And follow the band on Facebook for additional release and show information.
This is not abandonment. This is just your common sense. - "Ambulances" by Mallcops
"The lyrics always come first. 'The Funniest Joke You've Ever Told’ is the first part in a much larger story."
'The Funniest Joke You've Ever Told' is a record of monumental content. Put it on your iPod, listen to it on your way to work, and listen to it on your way home. Add it to your gym mix and run until your heart feels like it's about to explode. Listen to it when you're sober, and when you've had a few; and before you go to bed at night. Listen to it to feel something, to remember something, to regret something, and to justify something. Listen to it because Mallcops has perfectly articulated the most uncomfortable, awkward and emotionally vulnerable time in a relationship more than you ever could.
Recorded live in one take. It's like having a ska band in your house, but with a lot more elbow room.
Earlier this year, the 8-man Boston ska outfit The New Limits was invited to the WEMF studios to perform a set of new and old songs on the “D.I.WHY” segment, hosted by Andrew Lowery. The session resulted in a 5-song EP of one fluid, live recording that, in all honesty, sounds pretty damn good for an in-studio take and represents the integrity of The New Limits as a live act.
‘Live at WEMF’ is available on Bandcamp for free (at a name your price donation). While you're there, you can stream / purchase the band's debut EP 'Pressure Up' released in January of this year.
More than just the songs, D.I.WHY is about the process behind them and how music's better than your day job. Listen live Sundays from 2-4PM on WEMFRadio.com.
Donna Bummer (members of Grandview and The Dirty Looks) is the latest band to emerge from the basements of Lowell, MA. Here for you is a new listen, “Washout”, is available for free download (at a name your price donation) on Bandcamp. “We're currently writing full force, hoping to have something out before summer to tour on,” Devin LaRocque tells Bishop & Rook.
You can catch Donna Bummer at UnchARTed in Lowell on November 5th with Worried Well (ME), Western Education and Weakened Friends (Annie Hoffman of The Field Effect’s newish band). Full event details here.
“I guess I never really knew how cold this house could get without the alcohol and people helping me forget.”
– Jasper Wildlife Assoc.
Advancing past the early hurdles of “oh oh ohs” and the trite line “that sound that sound my favorite sound”, both of which are rudimentary content killers, Bay Faction’s S/T (released 9/29/15) gains confidence and opens up to reveal a smooth and clean narration of reactions to emotional situations. By the end, you’re wanting more.
“[The album] concept is an observation of the culture surrounding our generation,” Bay Faction frontman James McDermott tells Bishop & Rook. “Primarily sex, sexuality and the codes and cues associated with the identification that comes with each.” The Boston-based trio is compromised of students currently taking time off from school to pursue the band and an upcoming tour to promote their debut LP. The tour kicks off via rock n' roll halfway house Top Hat Factory (ask a punk) on October 9th and ends at The Red Room Cafe 939 on November 20th.
An indie rock band with jazz influences, Bay Faction’s sound could play nicely with locals Horse Mode ‘ (Ocelot Records) or Sports..
'Bay Faction' is available as a free digital download via Bandcamp. CDs and vinyl available via Counter Intuitive Records. 12" vinyl is available in a limited run of 250 black and 250 white. Follow Bay Faction on Facebook for additional show information.
Jargon Party experiences death by video game in their debut music video.
Portland, ME surf rockers Jargon Party lose the game in their debut music video for the first single "Surf Rock Anthem Number 7" off their upcoming full-length (release date TBD).
Filmed by Jason Boasch (Red Stallion Media) on location at Arcadia National Bar in Portland, ME, temptation of the game gets the best of the band in this grainy, electrified music video. One by one the band wonders off to compete and ultimately succumb to defeat, leaving the lone singer chanting “There’s nothing left”, before he too is annihilated.
“We're pretty avid gamers of all varieties so we thought it would be fun to combine the two. We wanted the video to have a bit of an arcade feel…kind of like a game within a game, with each of us having our own battles,” singer/guitarist Zach Lewis tells Bishop & Rook. “When each of us ultimately loses, our characters reset, waiting for the game to start again as whichever totem or avatar that we'd selected.” Drummer Jake Erskine's day job of pinball repairman at Arcadia made for a perfect filming location.
Originally created as a solo project by Zach Lewis in Brooklyn in 2012,
Jargon Party is now based out of Portland, Maine and operates as a
4-piece with Zach Lewis, Eric Schnare, Dustin Graham, and Jake Erskine.
You can download your free copy of "Surf Rock Anthem Number 7" via Bandcamp (at a name your price donation). Follow the band on Facebook and Twitter for show dates and additional release information.
Upcoming Jargon Party Shows:
October 8th - Ralph's Diner, Worcester
October 9th - Fran's Place, Lynn
October 10th - Northeastern University October 11th - O'Briens, Allston with The Versa Contrast, Black Hatch and Super Hide - presented by Lysten Boston
The Ducky Boys' frontman Mark Lind took to Facebook to announce the 20th anniversary of the Boston-based punk band by offering two special offers for fans. In celebration of two decades of rock, the band is offering a 20% discount on any item in their State Line Records Store. Use promo code DUCKYBOYS20 – offer is good through the end of October 2015.
Secondly, Lind states, “The other thing is a free-bee on me. It's been a decade since the rights to the first two records reverted back to me as owner of the songs and recordings. I had ‘Dark Days’ remastered with bonus tracks and called it ‘Dark Days & Lonely Nights’. I'm never gonna get around to doing anything with it. And if I don't do it then no one will. I think all the guys in that line-up of the band would prefer to know that people are still hearing the music so you can have the remaster [download] for free on our Bandcamp site.” In addition to the remastered version of ‘Dark Days & Lonely Nights’, fans can also score 3 additional B-side digital tracks as a free digital download. The CD version of the record is not free, but again…there’s that 20% off promo code.
Although the band has no plans on a 20th anniversary show, they assure The Ducky Boys are not fading away. “It's been a little over two years since we played a show where we could do a full length set. I suspect it will happen again when the time is right for all of us…Thanks for being there for us all these years. Thanks to all present and past members of the band. You all affected us in one way or another and we're grateful for the piece of the road we shared with you. Mostly.”
► Head to State Line Records to purchase music and save 20% with promo code DUCKYBOYS20
New definition of 'house band', Lowell’s R&B rock band Soft Cactus has released a self-produced series of 7 music videos entitled "In The Living Room", shot in their guitarist, Max Nickou’s mother’s living room. It's all pretty self explanatory. You can view all 7 videos on the band’s YouTube channel and download “In The Living Room” for free (at a name your price donation) on Bandcamp.
1-2-3-4! Boston's Answermanhas a new rockin EP out and you can download it fo' free (with a recommended donation) on Bandcamp.
"We decided to call the album 'SWYM ' after noticing that one of the songs on the record titled, "Say What You Mean", contained the acronym SWYM. But it also speaks to the idea of jumping into life with everything you've got and accepting the good along with the bad," singer/guitarist Sam Pitino tells Bishop & Rook. "Just swimming right-the-hell through it all... love, pain, loss, dependance, joy. You stop once in a while...kick your feet, look around, smile or cry, and keep going."
To celebrate the release of 'SWYM ', Answerman has teamed up with WEMF Radio to produce a 9-band record release show party at Middle East Downstairs on September 4th. The night will include a main stage and side stage, and feature acoustic performances by Drew Zieff and Miss Genevieve, as well as sets by Brennan Leeds (celebrating his own EP release), Hollywood Ghosts, Dressed For The Occasion, Dionysus Park Ranger, Birds of Spray and Wisdom Toof. The show is 18+, 7PM doors, $8 in advance, $10 at the door. Full event details here. Follow the band on Facebook for additional show dates.
Salem Wolves is one of those bands we’ve been watching out of the corner of our eye. Kicking off the year with their dirty, reverb-saturated garage music featured on the 4-song EP 'Black Books' (MegaHex Records), the band has developed their sound at an accelerated pace with the premier of two additional tracks this summer. Their second single release “Teenage Wonder” (follow up to July’s “More Weight”) pulls in influences from doo-wop and soul while staying true to their lo-fi foundation.
Local indie rock band Answerman is streaming “Mother’s Milk”, the first single off of their upcoming EP ‘SWYM ’ – due out September 4th and complimented by a 9-band, 2-stage extravaganza at Middle East Downstairs, sponsored by WEMF Radio.
A combination of electronic and psychedelic rock, Ian Aware (alias of singer/songwriter Kenny Gray) has released his debut self-titled EP. The self-produced, eclectic 4-track record with touches of shoegaze, funk and rockabilly features Gray as the primary musician, although expect a full band at live shows.
Ian Aware’s S/T EP is available for free (at a name your price donation) on Bandcamp. Follow him on Facebookfor show alerts.
