REVIEW: Colleen Green @ Middle East Upstairs (8/24)

Posted on 09/02/2015 by Deanna Archetto

By Karen Muller
Photos by Chandler Philpott

Stacking a five-band bill that keeps its momentum is a tall order. Play it safe with similar bands and you’ll create the musical equivalent of a five-course pizza dinner: it sounds great at first, illness but you’ll wind up too overwhelmed to fully enjoy the last piece. On the other hand, cialis assemble a hodgepodge of unrelated artists and you can bet that half the crowd will duck out for a set or two. Therein lies the genius of the recent five-set lineup at the Middle East Upstairs: taking cues from headliner Colleen Green’s upbeat melodies and fuzzed-out guitar, story the bill managed to dodge both risks by balancing pop inflections and punk roots—all while mercifully avoiding pop-punk territory.

Local two-piece Ursula kicked the night off with a lurch into turbulent noise-punk, layering squealing guitars with atonal vocals reminiscent of Kim Gordon at her most esoteric. Escalating tension through dark, dive-bombing riffs, pick dragging and the occasional piercing scream, vocalist and guitarist Caity O’Hear brought the set to a rattling height by climbing into the crowd and howling with haunted poise. The polarizing performance made a great point about pulling off a longer lineup: why bother easing in?

Digital Prisoners of War brought the night back to center with a batch of even-keeled songs that diffused the tension and comforted in-it-for-the-headliner onlookers who’d expected a poppier opener. Led by Supriya Gunda’s bright belting and laced with particularly punchy basslines, DPoW blended retro phrasing and modern rock rhythms into something resembling grunge, but more original and inspired than any ‘90s flannel.

Rounding out the local openers, Ian came dangerously close to stealing the show with the night’s most dynamic performance. Reflecting the band’s background as a bicoastal project, the set echoed LA and East Coast influences in a more pronounced way than the group’s bedroom-pop recordings, overlapping sunny, jangling guitars with jagged basement-show riffing. Abandoning all restraint minutes into the set, the trio dissolved into the kind of controlled chaos that a band can only pull off with a fierce command of technique. Crowd favorite “Great Big Dog” stood out as one of the night’s highlights, with its bittersweet refrain “You can be happy if you want to be” perfectly capturing Ian’s tangled, emotive style.

“Stacking a five-band bill that keeps its momentum is a tall order. Play it safe with similar bands and you’ll create the musical equivalent of a five-course pizza dinner: it sounds great at first, but you’ll wind up too overwhelmed to fully enjoy the last piece.”

Touring opener Mannequin Pussy offered the night’s most traditionally punk set, barreling into a crop of snarling two- and three-minute numbers with such sustained fury that the songs risked blending together. The later sets of any longer lineup might be the most difficult to balance, but the Philly four-piece pulled it off with enough force to jostle past the mid-show lull.

Finally taking the stage almost an hour late—the seemingly inevitable pitfall of a longer bill—Colleen Green set the tone for the rest of the night with “I Want To Grow Up”, the title track off her recently released album. A departure from her older material (which delightfully shudders away from anything approaching maturity) the record makes clear that despite Green’s blunt songwriting and blunted persona, there’s more to her music than its frequent stoner-pop categorization suggests. Though concealed by bubblegummy melodies upon first listen, her lyrics are charged with a stumbling-through-my-twenties internal struggle in which getting baked is only a footnote. It’s less about the party and more about wondering why she isn’t having more fun. Sometimes the doubt seeps through: does she actually want to grow up? A pulled-together adult life sounds great, but she can’t stop thinking about how much responsibility sucks.

Translating that complexity into a live performance is no simple task. Backed only by a drummer who just slightly overwhelmed her at times, Green’s guitar-driven set took on a messy garage rock edge which echoed her irreverent attitude, sprinkling an extra dash of no-fucks-given on top of a heaping scoop of whatever. Peering out behind her signature wayfarers, she commanded the stage with a self-assuredness that her songs lack, showing off album highlights “Television” and “Pay Attention” along with a few older picks, including the Ramones-spoofing “I Wanna Be Degraded”. While the neurotic nuances that set her latest work apart were nearly downplayed to the point of getting drowned out, the result was forty-five minutes of pure fun. Overall, it wasn’t quite what the album promised, but it definitely wasn’t a disappointment.

Maybe Green does want to grow up— but she doesn’t have to. Whatever she’s already doing seems like it’s working out just fine.

The Vaccines Prove They’re Still Somebody’s Heroes At The Sinclair

Posted on 09/01/2015 by Mark Zurlo

By Mark Zurlo
Photos By Tomas Jordan

Imagine being anointed as “the band that will usher in a new era of guitar rock” after playing only a handful of live shows. Then imagine making your late night TV debut before putting out a proper single, or being featured on the cover of a major music publication before signing a record deal. Then imagine being tabbed to open for the likes of the Rolling Stones, Arcade Fire, Muse, and Arctic Monkeys in arenas and stadiums all around the world.

No pressure, right?

From day one, West London four-piece The Vaccines have been destined for greatness. They didn’t toil away in a local scene or press their own 7-inches. They didn’t book their own tours or play in near-empty rooms in hopes of winning over a few new fans.

Instead, they benefited from tremendous internet hype and a star-studded list of supporters, from hyper-influential British TV and radio host Jools Holland to Blondie frontwoman Debbie Harry. BBC’s Zane Lowe even called their first demo “the hottest record in the world” when it appeared on Youtube in 2010.

Three albums later, it would be hard to say the band has completely lived up to the hype that surrounded their early material. Sure, they’ve headlined large venues in the UK and even had a #1 record in 2012’s excellent Come Of Age, but a band that is “ushering in a new era” probably shouldn’t be playing small venues like The Sinclair, as they were on Sunday night.

The fact that the band hasn’t hit it big in the US was probably the last thing on the minds of the 500 or so fans at the sold out show. As the quartet, led by front man Justin Young, made their way on stage, it quickly became apparent that they would treat this show as if they were in fact the biggest band in the world.

Young’s seemingly limitless charisma gave every song on the set list, even the more subdued numbers from the recently released English Graffiti, an undeniable energy that pulsed from the stage, through the crowd, and up into the balcony, where even the more reserved concert- goers couldn’t help but bob their heads and sing along.

While the Vaccines may never come close to approaching the notoriety of the bands they’ve opened for, Young has certainly learned to emulate the slick on-stage theatrics employed by those much larger acts. On multiple occasions, Young stopped to stare intensely into the crowd, daring them to sing louder and show more enthusiasm, which they were almost always happy to do.

While Young tended to garner most of the audience’s attention, guitarist Freddie Cowan was more than willing to strike his own “one foot on the monitor” rock star poses, at one moment staring off into space as if searching for a far off soul in the last row, and at other times pointing and singling out the more enthusiastic fans in the first few rows.

The band would close with a rather stirring encore that first featured Young on stage with just an acoustic guitar for a stripped down version of “No Hope”. The band then re-appeared to finish with “Bikini Radio” and “Nørgaard”, tha latter being one of the best songs the band has written and the perfect way to end the night.

Maybe it’s the lack of expectations that follow them here in the states, or maybe it’s the fact that they relish the opportunity to play smaller venues, but either way, the Vaccines looked and sounded like a band completely comfortable with their place in the music world. They might not be household names, but they sure do seem at home catering to those who are in on what is still one of rock’s best kept secrets, at least on this side of the Atlantic.

Opening act Dirty Bangs

Review and Photos: Victorious Festival 8/29/15

Posted on 09/01/2015 by Deanna Archetto

By Deanna Archetto

When you find yourself in a different country, it’s always a good idea to check out the music scene. And when there happens to be a festival happening the weekend you’re there, it’s definitely a good idea to check it out.

Over the weekend, Portsmouth, England, hosted Victorious Festival, a 2-day celebration of local arts and culture, as well as some notable touring acts.

Before I had to catch my flight back to Boston, I caught Day 1 of the festival. I also caught a heavy dose of that stereotypical English weather: the rain didn’t let up all day. However, amidst the wellies, ponchos, and umbrellas was a really positive vibe; everyone was enjoying themselves (or at least they were really good at putting on a brave face about the weather. I guess if you’re British you’re used to it).

In all, there were about nine stages around the grounds where you could catch some live music. The two main stages anchored the whole festival, but before the main acts started playing, it was worth it to walk around, taking in the open air market, castle, aquarium, and local food stands that dotted the paths between each stage. Honestly, since the festival took over most of the Southsea area, that included admission to Southsea Castle, Blue Reef Aquarium, and more.

Talking with some locals, it was clear that this wasn’t their top music festival by any means. In a country (or I guess Kingdom is more accurate) that also hosts Reading, Leeds, Glastonbury, and Isle of Wight to name a few, Victorious Festival is a slightly newer and slightly modest addition to the festival circuit. A lot of the acts were drawn in from the surrounding area. There were DJ tents and acoustic pop-ups featuring local artists like Daniel Eagle‘s acoustic set at the Strong Island Recordings tent.

Once the main acts started playing, you really had to choose which acts you wanted to see because many sets overlapped. Plus, the rain was a big incentive to stay put and warm yourself on a cup of tea or a fresh doughnut. I picked the Common Stage, but not before running over to the Castle Stage to catch part of Honeyblood‘s set. This Glasgow-based duo is really heating up: their fuzzy energetic rock songs like “Killer Bangs” and “Babes Never Die” were really worth the sprint through the rain.

Victorious’ lineup is an eclectic –almost throwback– mix of artists: The Magic Numbers took the stage, followed by The Fratellis, Primal Scream, and finally The Flaming Lips. We also got to hear some Joy Division and New Order hits during Peter Hook and the Light’s set earlier in the evening.

Victorious also does a decent job as showcasing up and coming talent: Flyte, Kill It Kid, and Blackfoot Circle are a few acts that won over the crowd during their sets.

And finally, as if by magic, the rain stopped right as The Flaming Lips took the stage. Actually, I think they must have turned all the rain into confetti, which is not a bad thing at all.

COLUMN: Father & Son Review Co. – Van Halen

Posted on 09/01/2015 by Tim Gagnon

By Tim Gagnon

For many years, the sound of a synthesizer was synonymous with ears bleeding.

I’m talking the actual fear of blood dripping from my punctured eardrums, not some snarky comment about ‘80s music.

It happened almost every road trip we went on. My dad would sift through cassettes, CDs, and iPod playlists depending on the year until the opening strains of Van Halen’s “Jump” made it through the speakers. The volume knob would get turned to rear-view-mirror-shaking levels, followed by a piercing shriek from my normally moderate father (who was still a few octaves below David Lee Roth’s impossibly high yelp). My mother would roll her eyes, my brother would cover his ears, and, for four minutes and two seconds, my father would ascend to immortality.

Van Halen, for many born in the wake of the late Baby Boomers/early Gen X’ers, occupies one constellation in the excessively explosive galaxy that was “hair metal”, but “Jump” remains my father’s definition of “the perfect song” for all other songs and genres to bow to. As far as my younger mind could understand, “Jump” was a time machine and instant party combo pack if you wanted it to be. For my dad, it was his standby that never got old or tired in a world that was constantly renovating itself. In honor of music adoration and (somehow) making it ten songs deep for this column, this week’s conversation asks what made “Jump” the one song that brought my father to euphoria and supplied the need to irrevocably damage his sons’ eardrums for years to come.

#10 – Van Halen’s “Jump”

Dad: [laughs] Ah, man! Look at them! Splits and flying through the air… Wow.

Tim: Hey, it’s your favorite band, not mine.

Dad: He’s so full of himself, David Lee Roth. And they’re just playing on a stage alone. There’s nobody there.

Tim: You have to admire the effort he’s putting in for the camera crew though. Look at that kit!

Dad: [begins air drumming on laptop] He’s got a ton of drums, huh? But who’s playing the synthesizer? I’ve always wondered that.

Tim: [laughs] Major production goof right there.

Dad: It’s a secret man off stage, I guess. And [David Lee Roth] changed costumes!

Tim: Oh my god, how’d he do that? It’s the secret synth player off stage giving him new clothes.

Dad: And he did it again! He changed back! He did karate; that’s why he was so limber with his moves.

Tim: Oh, no kidding.

Dad: Yeah, he was such a clown. And Eddie Van Halen actually started out as drummer, but he didn’t like it, so he switched to guitars and his brother took his place. He was always so smiley and happy-go-lucky, always having a blast doing what he’s doing.

Tim: I don’t blame him with how much money they made. Oh wait, there’s the synth! Eddie’s playing the synth!

Dad: Oh yeah! And there’s another costume for David. That’s three now. I can never get sick of this song.

Tim: Let’s talk about that! What is it about “Jump” that gets you?

Dad: It just resonates with me. And the song’s about nothing. It’s not a deep song at all.

Tim: Well, besides jumping or something. Give me the history of that song for you then. Like, it came out in, what, 1984?

“Everyone [at my funeral] must jump. The priest won’t be sure what to do, but that’s okay.”

Dad: I think so. I can’t remember the first time I heard, but I remember it made it real big. Before then, “Dance The Night Away” was their biggest hit and they had a lot of hits on regular radio, but this one was just everywhere. It’s just a happy song; it made me happy. But 1984… that was my first year out of school working. Oh, and I got married!

Tim: Oh yeah, that’s kind of a big deal! Was that on the wedding playlist?

Dad: I don’t know! I’ll have to check that. “Love Shack” by The B-52’s was in there somewhere. I have “Jump” on my iPod though, on my exercise playlist. Like, you don’t just want to sit and tap your feet to this song. I wanna go for a jog or lift weights when it’s on. I wanna do something! When I ran a 5K, I had it on right at the end so I’d be approximately within a mile of finishing. Or like three minutes within finishing, I dunno.

Tim: [laughs] I’ve heard you say before that this is ‘the perfect song’ though. Can you pinpoint what makes this perfect exactly? Is it the happy-go-luckiness?

Dad: It’s just between the synthesizer and the guitar solo… man, it’s just a great song. The happy-go-luckiness is more in the video. I forgot the video actually. David Lee Roth was so campy, he’s like a vaudeville act with his costumes.

Tim: Yeah. I notice between him and, like, other ‘80s hair metal bands that they dressed very femininely, but there was also a very theatric, vaudeville-y quality thrown in like you said. Like, everything David wore had fishnets and sequins involved.

Dad: Yeah, with the long hair and tattered jeans. That was just the time. A lot of leather… those gloves! And the wristbands!

Tim: Was that your look?

Dad: No, no, never. But the song, at the core, is so uplifting. And it’s funny because there’s songs that are like, “oh my god, this is such a great song,” but after about a month, it’s like, “ehh, I’m kinda sick of that song.” I cannot get sick of “Jump”.

Tim: What brings you back to it again and again after all these years?

Dad: I don’t care who you are, everyone has “their song”. My father had “My Way” by Frank Sinatra. When “My Way” came on, my father just perked right up. He sang with it… it was his. I mean, do you have a song yet? I mean, there’s a lot of good slow songs; one of my favorites is “True” by Spandau Ballet, but “Jump” has a good melody, good guitar, and it’s a driving song. It’s my song. That’s why it’s going to be played at my funeral. [laughs]

Tim: Oh man, that’s gonna be weird. I don’t know if anyone could give a meaningful eulogy and follow it with, “And now, here’s ‘Jump’ by Van Halen.”

Dad: Yep, and everyone must jump. The priest won’t be sure what to do, but that’s okay. He’ll start tapping his toes, no doubt about it.

Steve Hartlett’s Stove Debut Album

Posted on 09/01/2015 by Conor McMahon

By Conor McMahon

Any band that, whose label describes their debut album as an exploration of “the delicate balance of life’s heavier choices vs. the need for a sense of humor and a healthy dose of alcohol and weed” will grab my attention. Especially the bit about the alcohol and the weed.

Ears should perk up when Stove’s debut album Is Stupider drops on November 20th via Exploding In Sound Records. The project of Steve Hartlett following the breakup of Ovlov, it seems to be the result the “2nd album + of songs” Hartlett referred to in his Facebook post that announced the end of his former band. At the time, Hartlett debated whether to use the songs for Ovlov or a vehicle to a new realm in his career. The answer is now clear.

Straight out of Newton, CT and recorded in Panton, VT, Hartlett wrote and performed the album by himself with help from producers Nick Dooley and Dan Francia of Brooklyn’s Flagland. Recording concluded on 4/20 of this year, which this author speculates as a necessary end date. It was either finish in a blaze of glory or be derailed in a blaze of fury. Looks like glory won out, and we all now get to reap in the benefits of Hartlett’s work. Listen to the first single, “Jock Dreams,” below.

Side note: Track 3 is “Dry Food”, is this a nod to label mate Palehound’s debut album Wet Food? Is there a pet food conspiracy brewing at EIS?

WATCH: GYMSHORTS LIVE SESSION

Posted on 09/01/2015 by Andrew Gibson

By Andrew Gibson

We first met up with Providence stoner punks GYMSHORTS at SXSW this past spring, and amongst the dozen or so bands we interviewed, their’s was the best by a long shot. Although most of the footage was cut from our recap video due to language among other things out of our control, it remains in the AP video vault, and is re-watched frequently whenever we’re feeling blue (or baked).

The bands sincerity and goofiness are as top notch as their playing chops, and to put it frankly, they are just fun to be around. As a result, we decided to wrangle them into Herd Studios for the second installment of our Live at Herd Studios series. The band gave us a sneak peak at some of their new material, starting off with the unreleased “Copy Cat”, before diving into their smash hit “Hey Parents” off their full length debut “No Backsies”. Both songs ripped, the interview was equally as candid, and the studio couldn’t have been sicker. Check out the vid below:

They are currently (always) on tour right now, so check out the tour dates below, and make sure to catch them in a city near you. For all you local folks, mark your calendar on November 13th (it’s a Friday!) for an insane line up at the Middle East Upstairs.

REVIEW: Krill, Big Ups, LVL UP, Stove, and Palehound [EIS Weekend] (8/22)

Posted on 08/28/2015 by Tim Gagnon

By Tim Gagnon | Art by Liz Bolduc

7:41 PM: Everyone is a friend here, but I can’t escape the fact that I am the new friend arriving at a party of old friends.

Despite moving here mere months ago, I’ve observed enough shows to understand the undeniable local devotion surrounding Exploding in Sound, but newness still wafts from me like Allston garbage cans without their lids in the August sun. No, I was not there when [dearly departed EIS band] played [dearly departed basement venue] and [perennially drunk friend] lost his shirt again like the goddamned dingus that he is. And sure, I could just put #krillkrillkrillforever at the end of all of my Instagram posts tonight to make up for lost time, but I came to the first show of the “Thanks For Being A Friend” weekend to truly understand the insular, but ultimately welcoming world of becoming a EIS friend. Oh, and, as always, to find [perenially drunk friend]’s shirt because there is no way security will pardon a half-naked man that reeks of Rubinoff.

8:11 PM: I strike up a conversation with a guy wearing a Sat Nite Duets shirt, who, until that moment, I thought was a band that eluded most people on the East Coast besides my roommate. Upon talking further, I discover that this guy is a) the person that showed my roommate Sat Nite Duets and b) EIS superfan Hayden Karnitz that retweets all of the poop-related Krill tweets from over the years. I’m strangely relieved he is no longer a pissed off ‘90s child like his Twitter photo suggests.

9:01 PM: 2015 has been the year of everyone (finally) declaring their love of Palehound from the rooftops and, in this moment, I’ve decided I would absolutely join them if I wasn’t so intensely afraid of heights. Yes, “Molly” is a fuzzed out steamroller of a single and I’m overjoyed everyone is getting run over by it, but I think watching them play “Dry Food” live was my true moment of conversion. I get a cruel laugh out of watching mosh bros react when a band plays a couple slower songs live, but it’s infinitely better when an absolutely aching song like “Food” transfixes a room in wide-eyed awe. I’m considering asking if anyone knows of a roof no higher than seven feet that I can yell from.

10:01 PM: The lights noticeably flicker and dim from the electromagnetic disturbance of everyone at The Sinclair simultaneously tweeting, “What happened to Steve Hartlett’s guitar? #RIPOvlov.” Hartlett came armed with a guitar that had nearly half of its body severed, the frets practically hanging off the top like an overbite. Mangled instruments didn’t impede on Stove’s lightning fast, but pleasantly meandering set though, which included a feature from Speedy Ortiz’s Sadie Dupuis and Hartlett’s bandmates (who also comprise the EIS band Washer) playing one of their band’s songs. Noticeably absent was a single Ovlov song for #EISmemories, but it appears the severance between Ovlov and Stove is even more distinct than Steve’s fucked up guitar.

10:33 PM – Stove close on a six minute droner where Harlett snaps not one, but two guitar straps, leaving him to hobble around the stage and attempt to keep hold of his guitar. They abruptly stop when Hartlett yells that “something smells like it’s burning” and exits the stage with a goofy wave. I am 90% sure I witnessed my spirit animal or a recreation of that “guy falls in the snow for 9 seconds” video with musical accompaniment.

10:59 PM – If idiocy could be measured like dream levels in Inception, I believe I have arrived at my third level:

1st level – I just made a reference to Inception in the year 2015. It was an okay movie as long as you didn’t pontificate on how “deep” it was. The memes were never funny.

2nd level – I bought a Jamaican meat patty between sets and, despite watching the shop owner reheat it to surface-of-sun level temperatures, I bit into it full force and burnt every tastebud I’ve ever had in my entire life.

3rd level – I’ve never given LVL UP a shot before tonight because I assumed any band named after a video game reference would have to play posi-jumping, Arizona-guzzling, snapback-wearing pop punk.

To be fair, having song titles like “Bro Chillers” and “Stoned Alone” don’t exactly defend pop punk their case, but seeing LVL UP live only cemented my multi-layered idiocy. After a couple blasts of their fuzzed out goodness, my burnt tastebuds and I contemplated leaving in shame. Then they played another song of fuzzy goodness and I almost forgot bad feelings entirely.

11:45 PM – I’m not looking to preach to “the youths of Allston” here, but sometimes, I’m just so damn happy I’ve avoided smoking this far into my life. I mean, yeah, I guess I’m missing that communal huddle outside the show and asking a stranger for a cigarette as a conversation starter, but I would’ve also missed the gloriousness that was Big Ups. Oh, and my lungs aren’t rotted out or whatever.

As roughly half the crowd is milling outside The Sinclair with their cigarettes, the New York punk outfit is putting on the night’s most blistering set. As one of the newer adds to Exploding’s roster, Big Ups slightly divert away from the label’s penchant for lo-fi-born slacker rock, but no one inside is complaining. Big Ups’s only commonality with fellow EIS bands is singer Joe Galarraga’s occasional monotone murmur of a voice, but that often unfolds into a throaty scream as he paces heatedly across the stage. The fact that they call themselves “punctual punk” seems like it carries an air of sarcasm, but showing up late to this band feels like a truly vital mistake.

12:40 AM – Do we honestly need to review Krill anymore? When they made an ironic anthem about being a band forever despite being on the cusp of breaking up… and then not breaking up after all, they were a good band. When they compared themselves to a turd getting flushed down a toilet, everyone was like, “shut up, Krill, you are good at what you do and we want to know where Jonah bought his dog jacket.” I’m pretty sure every writer at AP has given their respective copies of A Distant Fist Unclenching a tender smooch at least a few times since it arrived earlier this year. And when Krill played a handful of brand new songs during their headlining set…you guessed it, they were pretty good. I understand the worship of Krill in Allston can become a bit overpowering, but I also understand I will probably never be able to see them perform “Tiger” without doing a half air drumming, half “I need to use the bathroom” dance. Krill is good. That’s it. That’s all.

1:10 AM – It’s drizzling softly on my ride home, baptizing me in my newly validated EIS friendship. I can’t pretend I witnessed their full history in Boston, but I understand why Exploding In Sound’s history has become storied here. The explanation’s in Steve’s broken guitar straps as much as it is in each band’s technical prowess. It’s also in the circles of crowd members between sets trading show stories with enough passion to make you feel like you didn’t miss a moment of it, even if you were never there to begin with. Simply put, it’s a scene inventing a new pinnacle yearly that the rest of the country is finally starting to pay attention to. The bands that comprise Exploding In Sound aren’t a boastful or ego-heavy bunch; they’re your neighbors that happen to play really, really great music.

And with a weekend of offerings as stacked as Exploding In Sound’s, being a friend has never felt so rewarding.

2015 Sound of Our Town Festival Announced

Posted on 08/27/2015 by Sydney Moyer

By Sydney Moyer

Local music blog Vanyaland, in conjunction with the Boston Music Awards, has announced the second annual Sound of Our Town Festival at the Lawn on D, set for Thursday, September 24.

The lineup, which is curated to represent the sound and soul of the Boston music scene, will feature local staples such as Vundabar, Ruby Rose Fox, Oh Malô, and more, with more announcements to follow in the coming weeks. Sound of Our Town is also the venue at which the Boston Music Awards will announce their nominees for the year, so if you want to be the first to find out if Allston Pudding will be nominated again, be sure to check it out! Details and updates are posted in the Facebook event. Oh, and if you’re still not sold, check out our review from last year’s show with Speedy Ortiz, Ted Leo, and Aimee Mann.

INTERVIEW: Mystery Skulls

Posted on 08/26/2015 by George Greenstreet

by George Greenstreet

Of late, synthpop fans have hardly been starved for good material. With excellent recent releases from Hot Chip, Passion Pit, Twin Shadow and Shamir, as well as the incredibly promising debut of Skylar Spence around the corner, the past year has been great for anyone looking to dance like it’s the 80s. Those looking to keep the party going would do well to add Mystery Skulls to a playlist or two.

Mystery Skulls is the pseudonym of former The Secret Handshake artist Luis Dubuc. Since the release of the project’s self-titled EP in 2011, Dubuc has been churning out reliably groovy pop songs tinged with an electrohouse edge and brought to life by his own R&B vocals. His lively take on familiar sounds has courted him both plenty of fans and interest from fellow artists, with Mystery Skulls’ debut album Forever featuring guest appearances from Brandy, Snowblood and, impressively, Nile Rodgers of Chic and “Get Lucky” fame.

Dubuc has been spending the year touring the album worldwide and is currently in the middle of a string of East Coast dates. We chatted with him in advance of his show tonight at Brighton Music Hall about songwriting, anime and, of course, working with Nile Rodgers.

Allston Pudding: Forever has a great throwback vibe to 80s synth sounds. Were you looking to any specific artists as influences?

Luis Dubuc: Yeah, I love 80s music. I think when I was making the record I wasn’t really listening to a ton of music, just focusing on making the record. As far as overall 80s influences, though, I love Zapp & Roger, Lionel Richie, Commodore, Prince and 80s Michael Jackson. All of that really helped to influence the sound you hear on the record.

AP: What was your songwriting process for the album?

LD: For the record it kind of spanned a few years. I had been making a series of EPs and giving music away online. There wasn’t really a plan to make an album in terms of how it happened, but somewhere along the way I got signed by Warner Brothers and worked with Nile Rodgers and Brandy and some other great people. I remember at one point thinking “oh, there’s a lot of great songs here,” so instead of just instead of singles or an EP it could make for a full album.

As far as the songs themselves, molecularly, I always start with drums and rhythm and often a vocal idea. Sometimes I’ll even have a song name beforehand, like with “Body High.” For years I said I wanted to have a song called “Body High,” so it was sort of a matter of getting to the point where I could write a song that sounded like I thought it should in my mind.

AP: Speaking of Nile Rodgers, how did you get linked up with him?

LD: Well, the man who had signed me is friends with him and had told me that he was going to hang out with Nile that day. This was before I signed. He told me he was going to show him my music, which was pretty cool, but I didn’t think anything of it. I had zero expectations. Maybe an hour and a half later, I get this random phone call, and it was Nile Rodgers. He was like, “I just heard your songs, they were awesome, come hang out with me!” I went and met him that night and we’ve been friends ever since.

AP: What was working with him like?

LD: It was really cool. Really sweet and very real. We’ve worked on a ton of stuff since then. Got some tracks on the new Chic record [the forthcoming It’s About Time] and worked on some stuff for some other artists.

AP: Are there any other artists you’re itching to collaborate with?

LD: I love Ghostface [Killah]. I’ve said for awhile that I would love to do a track with Ghostface. I would really love to do a track with Erykah Badu. I love Andre 3000. I love 90s and 2000s R&B and hip-hop, so a lot of those artists are ones I’d like to collaborate with.

AP: You’re a big anime fan, right?

LD: True!

AP: What are some of your favorites in the genre?

LD: As far as current shows, I just got the Space Dandy box set, so I’m really into that. I love the classics, but as far as the new stuff I really love Space Dandy, and Attack on Titan’s been pretty cool.

AP: A lot of artists, particularly Porter Robinson recently, credit their interest in anime as an influence on their music. Would you say it has been at all like that for you?

LD: I think it’s more an influence contextually and visually. As far as J-Pop or even anime music, I don’t think that comes through in my music at all. It’s really just contextualized and idea-based. Sometimes when I’m writing I’ll have something on, muted, and be inspired by the visual aspect of it.

AP: What’s your stage setup like for this tour?

LD: I’m basically signing and DJing. There’s a visual component as well, which makes it pretty interesting.

AP: What’s next for you after this tour?

LD: After this tour I’m going back to Los Angeles and doing a set of shows on the West Coast. It’s sort of the second half to this East Coast run, which includes New York, Philadelphia and, of course, Boston.

Other than that, I release remixes all the time on my Soundcloud. I release mixtapes- I had a summer mixtape that just went up. I also put a new track up on Tumblr recently called “Miracles.” There’s always new stuff online.

Mystery Skulls will be playing Brighton Music Hall tonight, 8/26. Tickets are still available here.

PREVIEW: Guerilla Toss at First Baptist Church (JP)

Posted on 08/26/2015 by Seth Garcia

by Seth Garcia

The latter half of August is a tough time for some people. For some, it’s the existential dread of realizing they slept the summer away while for others, it’s the knowledge that the dredge of college is just around the corner. Mix it all together with the thick humidity of the past few weeks, and it’s just one sticky, overly-dramatic mess.

Fortunately, the folks at Boston Hassle know how to send off summer in style with a show that’s guaranteed to bring just about anyone to a better place. On the bill are familiar bands like Guerilla Toss and The Lentils, plus lesser knowns like Grape Room and up-and-comer Gracie. We’re giving you a blow by blow of the show, if you need a little help getting to know the bands.

Gracie‘s eponymous debut just released a little while back, and though you may know her from Fat Creeps, her most recent effort is much more somber. She plays self-described “bummer jams” that burn slow but hold attention well. Even with only one cassette release under its name, Gracie is steadily garnering notice from the scene, so see her live before she’s headlining sold out shows. Listen to her single, “Jesse” below.

<a href="http://gracie3.bandcamp.com/track/jesse">Jesse by Gracie Jackson</a>

The Lentils‘ music flirts with description. At times it’s just as easy to hear hints of Neutral Milk Hotel as it is Mutual Benefit. Their latest effort, Brattleboro is Flooding, is a brilliant exercise of emotion. Nestled away in their loose, jangling pop are lyrics strange, hilarious, and yet poetic enough for real contemplation. They have an eclectic approach to their lo fi sound, but don’t just take our word for it. We filmed a video for their song “The Bed is the Killer,” a highlight from Brattleboro. Give it a try below!

Grape Room are no different. Both they and The Lentils are from Brattleboro, Vermont so it appears that some strange avant-pop chemical has been seeping into the waters up north. If you’re wondering where you can find your next Elephant 6 fix, look no further. Give em a try a quarter inch down!

<a href="http://graperooom.bandcamp.com/album/cartoon-land">Cartoon Land by Grape Room</a>

Last but not least! At this point, what more can be said of Guerilla Toss? If you don’t know them by now, you’re missing out on one of the more important bands in recent Boston history. Though the band has recently moved to New York and has seen multiple lineup changes over the years, it continually cranks out album after album of a completely unique style of noisy dance-punk.

<a href="http://guerillatoss.bandcamp.com/album/367-equalizer">367 Equalizer by Guerilla Toss</a>

It’s practically unbelievable that just one band has covered the ground between releases like GTOSS, Gay Disco, and 367 Equalizer while still making them all sound like they came from the same space. They’re live sets are practically legendary here in Boston, and when supported by such a unique bill, you should do all within your power to see this show. I mean, you don’t want your whole summer to be one big regret, do you?

The show kicks off at 8 at the First Baptist Church in JP, and bring 10 smacked bricks (cash) for admission.