Snowblood Reigns at BMH this Wednesday

Posted on 07/08/2024 by Dan Moffat

Dani Artaud, a.k.a. Snowblood, is bringing her electronic art metal to Brighton Music Hall this Wednesday, July 10th. The art of it all lies in the unique (and bludgeoning) blend of hyperpop and metal.

Snowblood’s latest album, Ill, dropped just last week. From the first few seconds of “EXPLODING WITH POWER,” the listener is thrust into the black abyss and encouraged to escape for a while. III is a barrage of double kick drums, with new variations and movements every few bars. There’s not enough time to think if you like this hook or that hook (or scream).

III runs for eight songs to be exact, which I consider to be the new perfect number of tracks for an album. You can get your point across in eight songs. Also you can juuust pass the threshold for albums, so streamers won’t categorize the album into the dreaded “Singles and EP” no-man’s land of your ‘Releases’ section.

I’m not using aggressive adjectives merely for effect – Snowblood is the kind of music suited for fighting. “Blood” is in the name. Her music gets used by the pro wrestling world. The “Snow” is the cold electronic element, devoid of humanity. The lack of warmth isn’t solely dystopic (although that’s there). Rather, it suggests more of an undead affinity, especially when you get into the spooky imagery. It’s an all encompassing, maximalist affair. We’re talking giant slug waveforms here people. If you dare, Snowblood will transport you into an interdimensional blizzard this Wednesday.

Thinking Pink with Peach PRC

Posted on 07/02/2024 by Harry Gustafson

Photos & Review by Wendy Schiller

All the Boston cool kids packed into a nearly sold-out Royale to see Peach PRC and Terror Jr do their thing. The crowd understood its assignment; they dressed in about as much glitter as a New Year’s Eve party, pastel tops and boots to match. Many had brought artwork and crafts to pass up to the stage to the star mid-performance, and held up paper hearts over their phones that were given out ahead of the show. It’s no surprise that the energy was electric; this is Peach’s first headlining North American tour after the breakout TikTok star went viral for hits including “God is a Freak” and “Secret”. Y2K pop is back in full swing!

Check out all of Wendy’s photos from the show below.

PVRIS Evergreen at The House of Blues

Posted on 07/02/2024 by Harry Gustafson

Photos & Review by Greg Wong

PVRIS received a hometown welcome on Friday 6/21 when they returned to the familiar grounds of The House of Blues. The date marked an approximate halfway point in the North American leg of their tour in support of their 2023 album Evergreen.

The show fittingly began with an introductory set from Boston natives Shallow Pools, whose concise set notably included the song “Say What You Want,” which was written in collaboration with PVRIS lead Lynn Gunn. Sizzy Rocket was up next for her final night with the tour. She single-handedly seized control of the room with her assertive, provocative solo performance. The third band on the lineup was Pale Waves, who obviously had fans in the crowd anticipating their arrival. Pale Waves gave the fans what they were waiting for, and they comfortably graced the stage for a distinctly longer duration than the comparatively sampling-sized opening sets.

PVRIS started their headstrong set by leading with their newest material; both a means of setting the energy level high and a representation of the band’s continually evolving sound. The setlist emphasized tracks from Evergreen as well as some singles released earlier this year, but ultimately included a surprisingly large portion of their older work. At times, the band performed truncated variations of songs from their early albums that seamlessly transitioned into newer songs. While they ably navigated the ebb and flow of their setlist, PVRIS consistently maintained an electric atmosphere that excited fans basked in. The concert concluded on a defiant high note with an encore performance of “GODDESS” with Sizzy Rocket making one last appearance with her keytar. The roaring crowd indicated that PVRIS successfully walked the line between their oldest and newest material, keeping fans ever coming back for more.

Check out all of Greg’s photos from the show below.

Tysk Tysk Task on Lowell, Fungus & Handling Salamanders

Posted on 07/01/2024 by Andrew Bourque

Words by Andrew Bourque
Photos by Harry Gustafson

In May, Lowell-based indie outfit Tysk Tysk Task graced the Orange Stage at Boston Calling for a riotous set showcasing their trademark woodland grunge vibe. Draped with vines and greenery, the stage provides a simple backdrop which only helped to show off the power of Samantha Hartsel’s vocals and the cohesion across the band. Following their set, we got to chat with the band about their new EP Helium Dreams, their Lowell roots, fostering a supportive community and how to properly handle salamanders. Hint: it’s all about the dirt!

Allston Pudding: So you guys performed today, how are you feeling now that the show is over?

Samantha Hartsel: It was amazing. It was a huge crowd. I don’t think we ever could’ve conceived of that. It was incredible. I’m so grateful.

AP: How was preparation for this? How did you get booked?

Kyle Griffin: There was some suffering, we had a lot of ideas. There are some group chats that will never be shared.

SH: We played The Rumble last year and the promoters from Boston Calling saw us and that’s how they reached out. They asked us more than seven months ago, which is an incredible time for a band to prepare a 30-minute set, so that’s where the suffering came from. It was a lot of time.

AP: Is that a good or a bad thing to have that much time to prepare?

KG: I thought it was pretty decent. [all laugh]

Matt Graber: Was it pretty decent Kyle?

KG: It gave us a lot of time. There was a lot of “okay this set is 31 minutes long, we really gotta shave a minute off,” and it helped us dial it in pretty nicely. Our drum tech told us we clocked in [today] at 29:30 so…

SH: No kidding? Wow. I mean beyond that, we wrote a new song in the last couple of weeks because we’ve been so inspired by this opportunity and yes, we had seven months to hem and haw but then the momentum is building and you’re thinking “what’s the best we can bring?” Our opening song we put at the end of the set which we never would’ve done a few months ago. We just wanna keep the energy up.

AP: So, it really gave you a bit to work around freaking out and to try new things before the show?

SH: Absolutely.

MG: We’ve played a lot of shows, we’ve done a lot of rehearsing, I think actually playing shows is the best thing for getting prepared. We got to drill the set a lot. We’ve played the songs live many, many times. They’ve slowly shaped into the way they are now.

KG: Just to tag on with the live shows you can go into a live show with an idea. Let me just try this and see how the audience reacts and see if they like it, if they cheer.

Rick Martel: That’s how the hat happened! People love the freakin’ cowboy hat.

AP: It’s kind of on trend, with Chappell Roan performing today.

SH: Totally, we love a cowboy moment.

KG: So yeah, it was nice to have that time to trial and error.

RM: It’s also nice because we play a lot of different types of venues like basements, bigger clubs…

AP: Do you have a preference between indoor and outdoor?

SH: I mean indoor is incredible. We’re from the basements of Lowell. We love grunge, we love grit and we love grime. That’s where our sound comes from.

AP: The glamorous basements of Lowell MA… (all laugh)

SH: Honestly they are glamorous! The scene is so immaculately supportive and we’ve built a fan base over the last five or six years of 17 to 18-year-olds who are now in their 20s. They remember us, they wanna come to the shows, they’ve seen our evolution. And we love to make shit and decorate, like we love to put vines all over the place and twinkling lights. We are woodland grunge.

KG: Our next show is a basement show too, we go from this big Boston Calling gig to a smaller show in Allston.

SH: We are a huge supporter of the underground DIY scene. We’ll never stop. It doesn’t matter if we’re playing shows like Boston Calling. We’re gonna go back to the basements because that’s really where the heart and soul of this band is.

KG: New England has a lot of really old basements, your breathing in a lot of je ne sais quoi… a really unidentifiable element that can really inform your playing and future songwriting along with the feedback from other bands playing and listeners too.

SH: We incorporate more feedback and shoegaze into our shit than we ever have. I think that’s because we’re just bouncing off of the vibes we get back in these dark rooms in Massachusetts.

KG: Well, in rooms like that it’ll turn into shoegaze no matter what you play because the rooms are so echoey you know you might as well just lean into it.

AP: What song is your favorite to perform?

WSH: We should say them all at once to see if we say the same thing… ready? 3…2…1… “Ocean now”!

KG: “Ocean now”!

MG: all of them!

RM: I don’t really have a favorite… but I like the dynamic changes in “Trazodone”. We just put out a new EP and currently that’s the only song that’s in our set. It feels like a new recording. It really changed when we played it, so I’m growing fungus around that one.

SH: Rick produced our EP and he mixed and mastered all of it

AP: Now you’re done performing for the weekend, what else are you guys excited for?

KG: Megan Thee Stallion! I’m stoked. I wanna shake my ass.

MG: Did you say shave?

SH: Did you say shit?!

AP: We’ll have to see what happens in that crowd. It’s pretty crazy out there today.

SH: I recently discovered blondshell from the BC lineup and I’m such a fan.

AP: Her voice!

SH: Gorgeous voice, lyricism, storytelling – just incredible. I can’t wait to see and hear her. I think we could maybe open for them someday so I just wanna see them and tell them I’m a big fan.

AP: You just released an EP, but what’s next for you guys?

SH: We’re working on our third album. We’re recording in two weeks at our studio in the woods called Treehaus. It’s an affordable rehearsal and recording space that we’ve made. There’s so many places getting shut down and there’s such a premium on sound, but we want to support the scene the way they’ve supported us.

KG: Rick is a truly incredible producer.

SH: Rick is the best thing that ever happened to this band

RM: I’m alright.

SH: The DIY aspect of what we do is incredibly fostered by the fact that we don’t have any timetables or deadlines. Being unsigned & being indie actually allows us to breathe and experiment. We will record something and not like it, but then a couple weeks later we will try it again because we have that luxury.

AP: If you could be a woodland creature, what would you choose?

SH: I wanna be the fungus that grows up the side of the tree, that’s really Ferngully dreamland.

MG: A skunk with manners.

KG: What counts as a woodland creature?

SH: Anything in your backyard.

AP: It could be a fairy too, I mean, you can get fantastical with this.

SH: No, we don’t have fairies where we are.

MG: Sorry!

RM: I would be a snake.

KG: I’ll be a fox, because my favorite Disney movie was The Fox and the Hound, that’s an incredible movie. It’s highly recommended. I would say it’s a 9 out of 10.

SH: At our last album release we had Bambi playing behind us the whole time. We really believe in the Woodland-core that is around us in New England.

AP: It’s not every day you walk by a festival set and see a stage adorned with vines and a singer in a beautiful flowy pink dress, just screaming into the microphone.

SH: Listen, the forest is whimsical, but it’s also terrifying as fuck! You get it.

KG: I’d also be a salamander. If you find one of those, don’t handle them with clean hands. They breathe through their skin so if you have soapy hands, they’ll take that in.

SH: Are you getting this down? This is really important.

For more information on Tysk Tysk Task, check out their website here and follow them on Facebook and Instagram for more!

Romance is Boring but Los Campesinos! Aren’t

Posted on 06/20/2024 by Harry Gustafson

Photos & Review Wendy Schiller

Los Campesinos! Played an all-ages show at the Paradise Rock Club on June 16th, performing the hits as well as some new stuff off their recent album All Hell. As a follower of this band for 15 years, it was encouraging to see almost as many young fans as old in the crowd. Frontman Gareth Paisey gave a shoutout to an early-career performance at beloved Allston venue Great Scott; he was met by a cheer from folks who also attended that gig (much to his surprise). Their endearing performance on Sunday was hypnotic and well-received; new tracks “kms” and “Feast of Tongues” fit in well alongside standards like “You! Me! Dancing!” and “Baby I Got the Death Rattle”. They are supported by Short Fictions on the east coast leg of their tour.

Check out all of Wendy’s photos from the show below.

Allie X Serves At The Sinclair

Posted on 06/20/2024 by Harry Gustafson

Photos & Review by Greg Wong

Four years after originally announcing a headline tour in 2020, Allie X finally made her way to The Sinclair on Monday 6/10. She delivered a performance worthy of the wait with iconic flair.

Opener Maylee Todd set the tone for the evening as she came on stage in a puffy oversized outfit and fully engaged the crowd throughout her highly entertaining set. She even managed to start a dance circle in the middle of the floor with the brief time she had to work with.

Allie X greeted the crowded audience that had sold out The Sinclair and noted that the evening was the first time she had ever headlined a show in Boston. She was of course corrected by a fan who helpfully shouted, “You’re in Cambridge!” Nevertheless, Allie X went on to impress with a set that highlighted her newest album Girl With No Face. She served up an offering of soaring operatic vocals, driving synth, and unabashed style as she blazed through the setlist, pausing only briefly here and there for snippets of banter. That said, she still managed to work in the older fan favorites as she powered through the track list of her most recent LP. The concert was quick, with the event wrapping up shortly after 10 pm, but hopefully the wait for the next Allie X visit will be short too.

Check out all of Greg’s photos from the show below.

Melanie Martinez Opens a Portal at TD Garden

Posted on 06/11/2024 by Harry Gustafson

Photos & Review by Samantha Davidson

Melanie Martinez led the audience on a journey through her unparalleled three studio albums, Cry Baby, K-12, and Portals, during her sold-out stop of The Trilogy Tour at TD Garden. Fans crowded into the arena in frilly, lacey, and vibrant outfits. Many jumped into line at the merchandise tables, creating a sea of pink. Martinez had designs from each era, with many fans opting to purchase some vinyl while chatting about which of their favorite songs they hoped would be on the setlist.

The night kicked off with a burst of energy as alt-pop singer SOFIA ISELLA took the stage, opening with her dynamic song “Hot Gum.” Her raspy vocals complemented the synthy beats, which set the crowd ablaze. Isella, a classically trained violinist, added a unique twist to some tracks with her electric violin. She strutted around the stage in baggy jeans and an oversized t-shirt, which she later removed to reveal a strappy black bodysuit. Her transition into breathy and airy vocals later on in her set further contrasted the forceful beats, which was a testament to her versatility.

Indie-rock band Beach Bunny took the stage soon after, performing “Cuffing Season” from their debut studio album, Honeymoon. The band’s lead singer, Lili Trifilio, commanded the stage in a plaid skirt and black tank top, singing into a microphone stand adorned with a disco ball and other sparkly fabrics. The band held the attention of the arena with its memorable melodies and angsty lyrics, with one moment compelling the entire audience to raise their flashlights and sway back and forth to a few songs. Beach Bunny played fan favorites like “Prom Queen” and “Cloud 9.” After they left the stage, chatter and buzz filled the arena, building anticipation for Martinez.

Martinez emerged for act one to Cry Baby’s title track, taking the stage by storm with her powerful presence and hypnotic vocals as the bass vibrated the room. Martinez stunned the audience as she danced around the stage in a baby blue fuzzy sweater set and blue booties. Visuals of grunge teddy bears flashed on the screen as blow-up candles, heart balloons, and bubbles covered the stage.

The scale of the sets continued to increase, contributing to the storytelling. For “Show & Tell,” a song Martinez used as an outlet to grapple with her life as a public figure, she strapped her wrists into aerial specialist fabric shaped like the strings of a marionette puppet. She transitioned into “Nurse’s Office” and had her dancers strap her into a gurney. She performed that song into a camera positioned directly above her that projected onto the big screens around the stage, creating the intimate feeling that she was singing directly to you while in an arena of thousands. She finished the set with a dynamic performance of “High School Sweethearts,” lying down on the ground before being lowered under the stage to transform into her Portals character.

Martinez returned to a haunting guitar melody in full prosthetics and makeup, giving her an extra set of eyes and pink webbed ears. She wore a pillowy and quilted matching set to give her body access to movement as she came to life performing the opening track of Portals titled “Death.” Her clear and punchy vocals reverberated through the arena as she performed almost all of the mesmerizing tracks from Portals in order, interacting with props like a pair of wings and a sage green sword. Fans screamed along to every song, appearing to be a form of cathartic release.

Martinez captured the unique aesthetics of each album in one cohesive tour. Every ounce of the production was intentional, creating an immersive experience for fans who have been there since the beginning and new fans experiencing the magic of Cry Baby, K-12, and Portals for the first time. The set design, outfits, makeup, choreography, pyrotechnics, and visuals helped create natural transitions between albums, laying out the storyline of Martinez’s characters past and present. If you haven’t already, make sure to catch Martinez live before she heads to Europe and the UK in the fall to continue The Trilogy Tour.

Check out all of Samantha’s photos below.

G Flip Grateful at Big Night Live

Posted on 06/11/2024 by Harry Gustafson

Photos & Review by Greg Wong

Aussie multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter G Flip brought their ongoing Drummer tour to Boston on Tuesday 6/4 to a huge outpouring of support. The show, originally slated for Paradise Rock Club, sold out quickly enough to easily justify a venue swap to Big Night Live.

Florrie kicked off the show with a poppy set that demonstrated her range across drums, guitar, and pure vocals. Her broad skill set and comfortable command of the stage and crowd made the English talent a natural pairing with G Flip on the lineup.

The crowd was properly hyped even before G Flip made their grand intro on the drums, and the energy was on a constant ramp upwards throughout the set. G Flip jumped between drums, guitar, and keys as they performed a fairly lean set that was roughly half of their 2023 album Drummer, a mix of singles, and a fair bit of banter. The crowd was thoroughly engaged, particularly as one lucky fan was singled out and awarded merch for being a standout amongst an audience that was wholly characterized by buzzing excitement. In fact the reception was so enthusiastic that G Flip was suddenly moved to tears as they earnestly thanked fans for enabling their dreams. Even when the show ended nobody seemed to want to leave, with G Flip, their band, and Florrie dancing along with the crowd to the house playlist well after the encore.

Check out all of Greg’s photos from the show below.

You’re Cordially Invited for High Tea’s Club Passim Show on June 13th

Posted on 06/07/2024 by Harry Gustafson

By Tanvi Shah

Photo by Dan Little

“Welcome to our tea party: it’s fucked up and weird. We enjoy weed and tea isn’t bad either.” That’s High Tea’s motto, inspired by Alice in Wonderland and the Mad Hatter. This y’allternative (as the kids say) duo consisting of Isaac and Isabella will be headlining Club Passim on June 13th.

Isaac and Isabella are from the hills of Western Mass (not the hills of the Sound of Music) and have been performing together for the past 4 years. Their genre has been pivoting from indie-folk-Americana to a mix of folk-punk, pop punk, rock, and blues. “We’re a bit louder than the typical indie-folk genre. But both folk and punk are rooted in storytelling.” Some of their musical influences include Indigo Girls, My Chemical Romance, Shakey Graves, and Rainbow Kitten Surprise. Some local artists who they’d love to collab with in the near future are Will Dailey for his songwriting and stage presence, and Sophie Wellington for their tap dancing and vocal agility.

They may be only two people, but they have a loud sound and presence! Isaac plays a kick drum with legs along with the cajón, and Isabella plays the acoustic guitar and the baritone electric guitar. Both of them are on vocals and their voices blend so well together, especially for the harmonies. “We know each other so well that it’s like a mind meld. We know how the other is going to sing a line and we now sing the same way!”

If you aren’t familiar with High Tea’s music, it’s been described as “watching a movie” and “these songs sound like they should be played at the Bronze from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” As they said, “We enjoy bringing stories and places to life through our songs. We love writing songs that people can relate to and feel.” No wonder a listener said High Tea’s song “Scuba Diving” put their feelings into words.

Their latest release, “Tender Heart Attack,” represents their new punk feel and how they can get very loud. In fact, the song was inspired by the storyline of the video game “Night in the Woods,” talking about feeling stuck in your hometown and that you’ve now outgrown. Isabella’s favorite line from this song is “Reciting poetry to the old man who everyone thought would be dead by now” and Isaac’s is “Doing circles in the parking lot of the mall that’s gonna be torn down.”

Isaac and Isabella also like incorporating juxtapositions and contrast into their music, doing hard things the easy way and vice versa. For example, an upcoming song about climate change, “The Metaphysical and Technicolor End,” focuses on how human beings are hurting the Earth while being very upbeat, like a la-la-la bop.

Prateek will be opening for them at the Club Passim show. They played with Prateek on another bill and love the ebb and flow of seriousness vs. playfulness in his music, along with how he plays so dynamically as a solo act. “We love his writing, voice, guitar playing, and him.”

If you want to go through all the emotions and vibes, get your tickets for High Tea’s headline show at Club Passim on June 13th!

Murdering the Dancefloor: Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s First Ever Boston Show

Posted on 06/06/2024 by Harry Gustafson

Review & Photos by Samantha Davidson

Sophie Ellis-Bextor put on an electric show at Royale Boston during her first-ever North America tour. Longtime fans exchanged stories about the CD mixes they burned with Ellis-Bextor’s songs on them back in the early 2000s, and they expressed how seeing her live was a bucket list item. The crowd was dressed for the occasion, bearing sequins, fringe, and glitter from head to toe. One fan in the front row wore a motorcycle helmet adorned with reflective disco tiles. He passed out disco ball necklaces to other eager fans and Ellis-Bextor herself once she arrived on stage.

The night began with Noelle Rene, who captured the crowd with her powerful vocals. She performed both original songs, including an unreleased song she plans on titling “Creature of Habit,” and covers by artists like Fiona Apple. In a black dress, black ballet heels, and a red bow, Rene giggled between songs and thanked everyone for having her.

Ellis-Bextor entered the stage to roaring applause, performing a cover of “Crying at the Discoteque” by Swedish group Alcazar. The lights flashed purple and yellow, reflecting off of her sleeveless pink sequin dress. Her band emerged in animal masks, with the bassist in a plastic shark head and the guitarist in a furry raven’s head. After the first few songs, Ellis-Bextor revealed that she likes to research the city she is going to perform in and share some fun facts and silly laws. She noted that Boston had the first chocolate factory, made the first phone call, and has an old law that claims it is illegal to drive with a gorilla in the backseat. “Does that mean it can be in the front?,” she joked.

About midway through the set, she invited fans to perform the choreography to her song “Hypnotized” and demonstrated the funky dance moves for the crowd to repeat back to her. Soon after, she pranced behind the stage for a costume change, emerging in a neon orange babydoll dress with knee-length yellow and orange fringe and sparkly shoulder pads, infusing the venue with a second wave of energy. Ellis-Bextor then carried her “travel wheel” to the front of the stage, explaining that she spins the wheel at each show to select the next cover she will perform. The crowd waited with anticipation as the wheel landed on Lionel Richie’s “All Night Long (All Night)”. She exclaimed that it was her wedding song and went on to perform a hypnotic cover.

Towards the end of the night, Ellis-Bextor performed her breakout hit, “Murder On The Dancefloor,” which she originally released in 2001 on her debut solo album, Read My Lips. Everyone sang the lyrics back to her, jumping and waving their hands with excitement. The song returned to the charts and public eye after it made a memorable impression in the 2023 blockbuster movie Saltburn, starring Jacob Elordi and Barry Keoghan. The song took social media by storm, catapulting Ellis-Bextor back into the spotlight in her home country of the UK and across the pond here in the USA.

She returned to an eager audience for an encore and performed several more songs. Over 20 years after “Murder On The Dancefloor” was released, Ellis-Bextor reminds fans in Boston and the world why she is and always has been a star.

Check out Samantha’s full gallery of photos below.