2015 Sets the Bar High for Local Music - B&R Looks Back At Our Favorite Records of This Year

May you get drunk on wine beer new music in the new year. (image credit)

The best part of our job is finding new, local music that rivals anything you're hearing on the radio today, and then getting to talk to the people who created it. Going beyond the press release, we ask the questions that deepen the meaning of the song, highlight the passion of the artist and recognize the growing talent of the New England music scene.

Not totally comprehensive, but a good representation of our favorites from this year, here are Bishop & Rook's top records of 2015 (in no particular order). 2016 is coming, click here for details on how you can submit music and written contributions to the Boston punk rock and indie music blog offering premium reviews, limit one per cocktail.

Artist: Twin Foxes

Record: S/T

Article: We Measure Twin Foxes' Emoness with Debut EP, Courtesy of Disposable America

Artist: Grenades in the Archives

Record: Dressed Up Like Armageddon

Article: All ‘Dressed Up Like Armageddon’ With No Place To Go - New Punk From Grenades in the Archives

Artist: Tied to a Bear

Record: Safe, Boring & Safe

Article: Tied To A Bear's Debut LP ‘Safe, Boring & Safe’ & Record Release Show Announcement

Artist: Choke Up

Record: Black Coffee, Bad Habits

Article: Choke Up's Debut LP Leaves Us Speechless - Pre-order 'Black Coffee, Bad Habits'

Artist: Salem Wolves

Record: (Series of singles)

Article: Refining The Formula – Salem Wolves Dish on Band Growth, New Projects and a BIG Announcement

Artist: Rebuilder

Record: Rock & Roll In America

Article: Rebuiler’s Debut LP, How ‘Allston Christmas’ Influenced Album Art & What Exactly Is ‘Gnarly Rock’

Artist: Today Junior

Record: Ride the Surf

Article: Today Junior’s Sound Gets Ocean-soaked And Sunburnt in Ride The Surf
 

Artist: Mallcops

Record: The Funniest Joke You've Ever Told

Article: Sorry, Too Busy Feeling Feelings: Mallcops’ 'The Funniest Joke You've Ever Told' is an Addiction 

Artist: Bay Faction

Record: S/T

Article: Bay Faction Skips School to Sing About the Cues and Codes of Sex

Then After The Show, It's The After Party - ‘Late Night on Lansdowne’ December 27th+28th

Because we know you'll be in the area...

These internet radio hosts have created a late night, local music party on Lansdowne Street just for you.

Oh, and it’s free.

“I don’t think it’s a choice to keep your passion going to be honest with you. It’s a weird thing, a force that pulls you in. And then it defines you, and you don’t even question it.”

Mutiny on the Microphone and RadioBDC have announced a free, 2-night event entitled ‘Late Night on Lansdowne’ featuring a nightly lineup of now trending bands along with special guests all happening at Bill’s Bar December 27th and 28th.

“With this year’s [Hometown Throwdown] theme being a throwback to The Rat, some people are talking about how the 'scene died’ when The Rat closed, or reminiscing about the past, thinking that our current set up just isn’t the same. I’d like to counter that argument with this showcase,” Mutiny on the Microphone founder and host Adam Blye explains.

“‘Late Night On Lansdowne’ pays homage to our experiences and excitement of discovering new music organically while attending shows. Back in the day you would get handed bags of swag after a show; flyers, pins, stickers, CDs of local bands of similar sound. Although that might not be the thing to do anymore, we can still connect listeners with music in a creative, natural way. It’s our job as curators to guide people to these bands.”

Both digital airwaves co-presenters are compromised of former terrestrial radio personal. With the fall of influencers like WBCN and WFNX, changing formats, shifting genres, closing clubs, and the looming fog of a bygone era in music, it’s easy to wonder how some people maintain their passion. “I don’t think it’s a choice to keep your passion going to be honest with you,” Blye confesses. “It’s a weird thing, a force that pulls you in. And then it defines you, and you don’t even question it.”

Participating 'Late Night On Lansdowne' bands are being announced daily, with night #1 already set to include The Bonnets (3 piece punkadelic band from Lyndonville, Vermont) and local favorites Bundles plus special guests yet to be revealed. The remaining bands for night #2 will be announced on the Facebook event page on December 10th and 11th. Both nights are FREE, 21+ with valid ID and entry is first come first served.

Follow Mutiny on the Microphone on Facebook and Twitter for additional information and take an interest in the event page to get automatic announcements, lineup details and more.

Lineup So Far:

December 27th
The Bonnets
Bundles
::Special Guests::

December 28th
::Band 1 announced December 10th::
::Band 2 announced December 11th::
::Special Guests::

Shop Local: Our List of Holiday Pop Up Markets

Shop at the Black Market Sunday, December 13th at the Cambridge Elks Lodge

Skip the mall and shop local. Here are is list of holiday pop up shopping events in the Boston area ranging from eccentric Etsy artists to bizarre bazaars:

Crosley + vinylmnky Holiday Giveaway!

You could win it. You could win it all.

Vinyl junkies, gift yourself this holiday. Austin, TX based vinyl of the month club vinylmnky is giving away a world class C100 Crosley Turntable plus a 12 Month Vinyl Gift Membership (a $520 value).

This promotion runs through December 5, 2015, is 18+ and many will enter, only three (3) will win. No purchase necessary.


►CLICK HERE for full details and to enter the contest. 

PRIZE DETAILS:

12 Month Gift Membership:

• Breakthrough Record of the Month [BROTM]
• Custom Artist Add On with Each LP
• Album Review and Write Up
• Tribe Membership Discounts

Crosley C100 Turntable:

• Outfitted with upper level features including an S-shaped tone arm with an adjustable counterweight, adjustable strobe pitch control and built-in phono preamp.

vinylmnky passionately shares their love for new indie music through sending unique handpicked and curated vinyl albums from emerging or iconic artists that include custom add-ons decided on by the artists themselves. Previous highlighted artists include CHVRCHES, Beach House, Best Coast and Purity Ring. Follow vinylmnky on Twitter and Facebook.

6 Nights of Halloween! Growing Up Spooky! + Trick or Treat Yo Self at Firebrand Saints

Eat, drink and be spooked. 5 nights of Halloween at Firebrand Saints.

Firebrand Saints restaurant and bar serving up New American fare and Eye Design will be enhancing your entire Halloween week leading up to the big day with audio and visual treats. 'Growing Up Spooky' is a week long event featuring horror movies from the 60's to present day. Playlist with spooky songs from each decade will accompany the films. Plus a special 'Trick or Treat Yo Self' on Halloween night featuring some of your favorite local bands covering some of your favorite mainstream bands.

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones Hometown Throwdown #18 Announced

It's a very Rathskeller Christmas.

“If you weren't there back in the day, here's your chance to get as close to the full Rat experience as we can possibly provide."
-Dicky Barrett

It's officially the end of summer when The Mighty Mighty Bosstones announce the annual Hometown Throwdown. The iconic Boston ska punk band took to Facebook to plug the upcoming 18th edition of the 3-night holiday event taking place at The House of Blues December 26th, 27th and 28th.

The 2015 lineup consists of acts that performed on the stage of Kenmore Square's infamous subterranean Rathskeller club. "We’ll be Throwing Down this year with groups that literally built Boston’s underground music scene while paving the way for future generations and inspiring countless bands including the Bosstones," the band states.

Shows are all ages. Tickets go on sale Saturday, September 12th at 10AM EST via Ticketmaster.

The Lineup:

December 26th

The Mighty Mighty BossToneS
The Neighborhoods
The Upper Crust

December 27th

The Mighty Mighty BossToneS
The Real Kids
The Queers

December 28th

The Mighty Mighty BossToneS
The Outlets
Stranglehold

RSVP For The First Annual Allston Christmas Block Party

Party with Do617 and friends at the first annual Allston Christmas Block Party

It's the most wonderful time of the year. Do617 is teaming up with PBR and Allston Village Main Streets to throw a Block Party in celebration of everyone's favorite Boston "holiday," Allston Christmas.

The first-annual Allston Christmas Block Party will be held on Labor Day at the new POP Allston pop-up community space, is 100% free and all-ages, and will feature performances by SKATERS, Michael Christmas, Dirty Fences, CREATUROS, and IAN. Pabst Blue Ribbon x Boston will offer $2 beers, Polar will quench your thirst with water and soda, and Roxy's Grilled Cheese provides delicious grilled cheeses, and fries! DJ Kidd Drunkadelic spins the summertime jams while Orchard hosts demos in the building's two-floor skate park.

►► Sound like fun? You MUST RSVP over at DO617's website.

Related Stories:
Rebuiler’s Debut LP, How ‘Allston Christmas’ Influenced Album Art & What Exactly Is ‘Gnarly Rock’

First Annual Punk Rock Groundhog Day Show

It's the most wonderful time of the year.

Here's something new. The first annual Punk Rock Groundhog Day Show happens at Charlie's Kitchen (10 Eliot St. Harvard Square) on February 2nd, and features some of the area's most popular punk/gnarly rock bands including Rebuilder (Panic State Records), The Black Cheers and Great Lakes USA (Black Numbers Records).

"We figured if Dropkicks has St. Patrick's Day and Bosstones has Christmas...and if we want to follow in the footsteps of great Boston bands, we need a holiday as well," says Rebuilder frontman Sal Ellington. "So we took Groundhog Day. That way we can celebrate local music, Bill Murray and a great American holiday all in one night."

The band that celebrates Murray 365 days-a-year via tongue and cheek merch is rumored to be playing two back-to-back, potentially identical, sets in true Harold Ramis style. "We cannot confirm or deny that we have been practicing a few new songs specifically for this night. And possibly the appearance of limited edition 'Salfie' T-shirts," Ellington implies. What's a Salfie? Ask a punk.

The Black Cheers and Great Lakes USA round out the night. Admission is $5. This is a 21+ show (w/ valid ID). Get additional details on the official Facebook event page.

Boston Hassle and Ignore Rock’n’Roll Heroes Presents BLACK MARKET

Start shopping Saturday, December 13th, 12p-6p.

Two floors, 60+ vendors, the second annual BLACK MARKET (presented by Boston Hassle and Ignore Rock'n'Roll Heroes) happens Saturday, December 13th at the Cambridge Elks Lodge (55 Bishop Allen Drive, Cambridge, MA).

Zines, crafts, records, DIY, clothing, used books, art, jewelry, music, leatherwork, secondhand, tarot readings, tapes, vintage, prints, soap, VHS, knits, baked goods, bags, patches, tea, NES, crystals, handmade books, T shirts, handmade, comics & more.

All Ages

December 13th (12p-6p)

$1 donation at the door

Bar will be open to 21+

Visit the official Facebook event page for all the details

Vendors Include:

PM PRESS, The Chubby Behemoth, Hubba Hubba, Neverleather, Smokey Bear Cave , Stimulation Addict, Nothing Mattress, eHawk, Dave Ortega, Bacteriafield, Night Wife Apothecary, Zoárd Wells Tyeklár, SMFA, Hungry Ghost Press, The Little Hop Shop, Ben Doane, Double Vision Embroidery, Lexi's Tree Fort, IAOIAOIAO, Catalina Rufin, Synonymous T Shirts, Driton Krasniqi, Holy Calamity Studio, Jam Jar Astronaut, ASM Retro, Barrington Edwards, Disposable America, Cindy Veasey Vintage, Glass Heart Press, Spooky Town, Dripping Dream Vintage, Lavandette, PRN0, Thrifty Times, Deep Thoughts, Annie Hard, Michael Montagano, Space Funkd Designs, Kitty Glitter/TeamZen, DIKSHA-T, Excessive Mortifera Flea, Boston Hassle, Big Ass Heat record & games, B.O.W. arts n' crafts, River street Bindery, Megan Gibes, Danielle Kilroy, Blood Moon Jewelry & more.

Rock Out With Your Cocktail Out Vol. XXX

Hey guys, it's our 30th #ROWYCO playlist! Cheers! (image credit)

Hey man, holidays, whaddyagonnado. No matter how many times you’ve done it, nothing can quite prepare you for the onslaught of meaningless questions and passive aggressive accusations about your alternative life style. When are you going to get married? Is that another tattoo? You’re in band? I love Bruno Mars. He's great. Is your band on the radio yet? Here, hold the baby. Seriously guys, it’s a universal discomfort. That is why we are here to provide an escape via new, sometimes local, but always awesome music and a drink to match.

Have a Crushed Out Valentine's Day

Special 24-hour only free download of Crushed Out's "Sweaty Dress" single.

For 24-hours, the rock n' roll surf blues duo, Crushed Out, will be offering a free download of their single, "Sweaty Dress", on Bandcamp in honor of Valentine's Day. The Brooklyn band will be in the area on March 29th at The Press Room in Portsmith, NH.

Download "Sweaty Dress" now.

Message from the band:

"Happy Valentine's Day! We are celebrating with a FREE DOWNLOAD of our slow dance love song Sweaty Dress. It will be available for the next 24 hours only. Enjoy! XOXO - Franklin & Moselle."

Bishop And Rook's Flirty 30 Birthday Bash

You have been formally invited...so that pretty much means you have to come.

Big news music fans! Ryan over at RTT Presents was nice enough to let me put my name all over his February 15th show. I couldn't think of a better way than to spend my 30th birthday than at my favorite Allston hang with some of raddest bands in town (and Canada).

Things Are Starting To Get Real

Follow Bishop And Rook on Instagram so we can get love notifications!

Oh man, things are starting to get real around here! Our very first show is happening on February 15th at O'Brien's Pub in Allston and features some of our very favorite Boston bands including Shambles, Rebuilder and Save Ends as well as an international guest band, Laureate from Montreal. Check out these cool flyers we made!

Who knows, if this show goes over well, RTT Presents and Refuse Rethink Rebuild Records might let us have another three way tri-host another show and feature EVEN MORE BANDS. Think about it.

It's my birthday man, come hang out! View the official Facebook event page for show details!

Rock Out With Your Cocktail Out Vol. XIX

2013 has been a spectacular year for new music and 2014 will be just as rad. We'd like to give a huge internet shout out to the bands we were able to review / pimp out / meet and look forward to the next batch of shows and records to come across our desk. And an extra special flirty glance to ALL the social media kids who follow Bishop And Rook on Twitter and Facebook. We do it for you. It's all for you! Here's to dance parties for one, making something out of nothing, standing up for your opinions and your first playlist of 2014. Have a Chambord Mimosa you bunch of classy music lovers.

Wine Them Over - Top Wines For Christmas

LOL It's Christmas. WTF.

'Tis the season to be so unfamiliar with someone's preferences that you have more of an opinion on Grumpy Cat vs. Lil Bub than you do about what they would really like for Christmas. Or perhaps this is your attempt at being a classy adult during someone's holiday party. Bottles of wine never go out of style. Before you wander aimlessly into a Target at 9:45pm on Christmas Eve, take a glance at Bishop And Rook's unofficially endorsed wines. All under $16, chosen solely on how cool the label was.

Gentlemen Hall, Mean Creek, ARmy of BRoken Toys to Play First Night Boston

Local bands rock out during First Night Boston

First Night Boston will feature some of the most talked about Boston bands including Gentlemen Hall (Island Records), Mean Creek (Old Flame Records) and Walter Sickert & the ARmy of BRoken Toys.

Boston Does Christmas - Local Bands Release Christmas Songs

The Field Effect is offering a free download of their "Blue Christmas" track.

Local bands are getting into the Christmas spirit with original tracks and holiday covers. Take a listen and snag yourself some limited edition EPs, free downloads and festive tunes.

TT the Bear's Holiday Party and Anngelle Wood's 2nd Annual Gift Drive

Head to TT's on December 17th for local music and holiday fun!

Join Boston Emissions and the fine folks at your favorite neighborhood music venue for TT the Bear's Holiday Party and Annegelle Wood's 2nd Annual Spectacular Gift Drive on December 17th! The evening features performances by Corin Ashley (8p), Butterknife (8:30p), Ad Frank (9p), The Derangers (9:30), Aquanutz (10p), Sinnet (10:30p), 3/4 of Scamper (11p), Mike the Considerate and the Interns (11:30p), a Secret Holiday Themed Guest and more to be announced. For additional information on this free event, please visit the official Facebook event page.

Bring a new, unwrapped gift for a child of any age - toys, electronics, clothing, winter coats/hats/gloves, gift cards are all accepted. Donations go towards the DCF Kids Fund. The DCF Kids Fund was established in 1998 to supply emergency items such as diapers, hot meals, warm clothes, or a new toothbrush to abused and neglected children entering the care of the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families. Monetary donations can also be made directly on the DCFKidsFund.com website.

Anngelle will also be accepting donations during the December 14th Indie Rock Ranger Holiday Spectacular at The Middle East Downstairs.

Rock Out With Your Cocktail Out Vol. XVIII

'Tis the season for Nutty Irishmen and playlists filled with New England bands.

For your cutthroat shopping pleasure, the December Rock Out With Your Cocktail Out Playlist is released early for Black Friday! While we hope you're spending all your hard earned cash at your local record store, to each their self destructive own. No matter what you're doing, you should be doing it with a cocktail in one hand, maxed out credit card in the other, and the December playlist on in the background. This month's cocktail is the Drunk Uncle Nutty Irishman which pairs well with the likes of Brendan Boogie & the Best Intentions, Barrrence Whitfield & The Savages, Freeze Pop, Bandleader, A Wilhelm Scream, The Connection, Opposition Rising and Bent Shapes.

Record Store Day Black Friday at Tres Gatos

While Black Friday may take a turn for the worse in shopping malls across the country, Record Store Day brings music fanatics together for a day of collectable commerce...and sometimes tapas. Shop local this Black Friday at fine record stores like Tres Gatos in Jamaica Plain.

"For two days out of every year, our record store literally takes over our restaurant in an all-out, unabashed celebration of vinyl: Record Store Day in April, and Black Friday.

We are really excited about the huge batch of indie-exclusive vinyl that we’ve ordered for this Black Friday. This is all limited edition, highly sought after stuff, true gems for any serious record collector.

We open our doors at 10am sharp on Friday, November 29, and our restaurant bar, tables and stools will be COVERED with records. We’re offering free coffee, and free record cookies baked by our very own pastry chef, Allyson West. All day long, there will be a 10% discount on turntables and used vinyl, as well as a 50% discount on a selection of hardcovers and first edition books.

We hope to see you there. Thank you for supporting your local indie record shops!"

The bar will open at 2pm, and the restaurant will open for normal dinner service at 5:30pm. Check out the Record Store Day Black Friday post for a complete list of special releases on November 29th and follow Tres Gatos on Facebook and Twitter.