The Orwells with The Symposium @ The Middle East Upstairs (11/5)

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by Nick Stalford

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Last night, for sale The Orwells played the fourth stop of their “Underplay Tour” at The Middle East Upstairs, discount with opening band, look The Symposium. Starting right on time, The Symposium went on stage at 7:30pm, accompanied by The Orwells’ drummer, Henry Brinner, in place of regular drummer, Jamie Seiwert. The Chicago indie rockers played a short but sweet set, pumping up the crowd with a mix of old and new material, including one of their latest releases, The-Strokes-esque “Synth Song.”

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Just past 8:30pm, The Orwells took to the stage, and as usual, vocalist Mario Cuomo was dressed in his own unique way, sporting a pair of zebra print pants, a tank top, and black leather boots, looking like a modern version of Freddy Mercury. Once on stage, Cuomo and The Orwells wasted no time, immediately ripping into their latest single “They Put A Body In The Bayou,” from their forthcoming album Terrible Human Beings. Throughout the rest of the show, they continued to play songs from Terrible Human Beings, including their other single, “Buddy,” layered between better known songs like “Mallrats” and “Who Needs You.” Around 9:20pm, Cuomo ran off stage, leaving the rest of The Orwells to finish with a long improvised jam session, followed by a two song encore.

Check out photos from the show below, and be sure to catch The Symposium and The Orwells next time they are in Boston. Although The Symposium will no longer be opening for them, The Orwells will continue their tour on the west coast.

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PHOTOS: Jim James @ Royale

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Photos By Daniel Swain
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The My Morning Jacket frontman kicked off a tour behind his second solo album Eternally Even at Royale here in Boston on Tuesday and it may have just been the perfect mix of cathartic escapism we all needed. Fellow Louisville, KY cosmic rockers Twin Limb opened the night, then played roles in James’ touring band along with Floating Action‘s Seth Kauffman. Check out some of our photos and the setlist which in the wake of his recent death featured two Leonard Cohen covers, as well as a Velvet Underground cover, and a few gems from James’ Monsters of Folk and New Basement Tapes supergroups.

Setlist: 
Same Old Lie
Hide In Plain Sight
Know Til’ Now
Dear One
The World is Smiling Now
True Nature
All Is Forgiven
A New Life
We Ain’t Getting Any Younger
Here in Spirit
State of the Art (A E I O U)
Eternally Even

Encore:
Bird On A Wire (Leonard Cohen cover / a capella)
Hey That’s No Way To Say Goodbye (Leonard Cohen cover / a cappella)
Dear God (Monsters of Folk)
I’m Set Free (Velvet Underground cover) 
Down on the Bottom (New Basement Tapes)

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DIIV and Pill at ONCE Ballroom (11/2)

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Photos and Words by Tiffany Law

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The anticipation in the room before DIIV stepped on stage was directly correlated to the number of DIIV shirts sported by the band’s diehard fanbase. Kicking off their November tour at ONCE Ballroom, buy DIIV offered a visually sparse but sonically engulfing set that satisfied old and new fans alike.

As far as openers go, for sale Brooklyn based post-punk band Pill were a great companion to the dreamy, meandering guitar rock of DIIV. Pill added an element of raw grittiness while still sharing some of the elements that permeate DIIV’s music. The lines “You wanna touch me where? / No, I’m younger than that” in “Hotline” were rendered much more potent paired with front woman Victoria Torres critique of Donald Trump and his misogyny towards women.

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Almost from the start of DIIV’s set, singer Zachary Cole Smith’s banter was hijacked by a couple of drunk hecklers pestering about his involvement in the tangentially related Brooklyn act Beach Fossils. After a uncomfortable few minutes of debate (“I was never really in that band”, Smith defended after the heckler kept requesting Beach Fossils’ “Adversity”), Smith made a proving case for DIIV with a set mostly taken from their newest album, Is the Is Are, as well as a healthy dose of their past hits such as “How Long Have You Known” “Doused”.

During the set, singer Zachary Smith repeatedly mentioned that he intended to have a collage of home videos projected on stage, but unfortunately forgot to bring his projector on tour. The lack of visual stimuli and relatively subdued motions of the band members who generally looked down at their feet added to their air of aloofness. Fortunately, the sparseness allowed the audience to be engulfed in DIIV’s propulsive rhythm and dreamy sprawling guitar parts.

All hecklers and disaffection aside, there was the overwhelming feeling that Smith and DIIV have finally stepped out of Beach Fossils’ ever looming shadow with Is The Is Are and into something uniquely their own.

For photos from the set, check out our photo slideshow below:

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Ben Katzman Makes ‘World War Kiss’ Comic to Support Planned Parenthood

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By Cliff Notez
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Published by Dale Zine

Ben Katzman keeps himself busy by playing in bands like Degreaser, Guerilla Toss, or White Fan. When he’s not jamming he spends time making show flyers and tour posters. Now with the help of Dale Zine, Ben has made a comic book. 
 
The plot of World War Kiss is that fictional character, Donald Twump, has been elected president and now America faces major turmoil. Fearing enemy attack from ISIS, who come from a far way land called Fox Newsistan. Trump, having had all of his ‘plans’ foiled is only left with one option… to enlist the secretary of defense Gene Simmons to send the KISS army overseas on the Freedom To Rock Tour Of Duty! 
 
Disclaimer; World War Kiss was written with no idea that that Donald Trump was actually going to win.
 

Local Natives at House of Blues (10/22)

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Photos by Colin Eldridge

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Saturday night at Boston House of Blues would be a pretty nerve-wracking bill to fill for a lot of acts. However, malady not-actually-local-at-all Local Natives easily fit that spot exactly, buy cialis hitting the stage a bit after 9 to an appropriately liquored up and eagerly awaiting cross-section of Boston. The slow synth build up on 2016’s “Past Lives” just seemed to emit pure Saturday-night vibes. The California quintet layed down track after track of hauntingly hook-riddled and surprisingly danceable indie rock. The band didn’t even come up for air between songs until they were a quarter way through their setlist. This all-business approach arguably kept the audience in the palm of their hand the rest of night as they hopped around their three-album-discography, leaning heavily on their latest release, 2016’s “Sunlight Youth”, shoving 9 of it’s 12 tracks into their setlist.

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Local Natives
1. Past Lives
2. Psycho Lovers
3. Wide Eyes
4. Villiany
5. You & I
6. Breakers
7. Airplanes
8. Jellyfish
9. Heavy Feet
10. Coins
11. Camera Talk
12. Ceilings
13. Masters
14. Dark Days
15. Colombia
16. Fountain of Youth
17. Who Knows, Who Cares
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18. Mother Emanual
19. Sun Hands

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Joyce Manor, The Hotelier, Crying at The Sinclair (10/19)

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by Colin Eldridge

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A sold out crowd for night 1 of a back to back run at The Sinclair, milled about keeping an anxious eye on the stage. Run For Cover Records alumn Crying took to the stage just a few minutes late to an overwhelmingly encouraging response from the crowd. It took a few songs for the audience to really connect and figure out exactly what Crying was about, but by about half way through their set they matched and surpassed their initial level of encouragement for just getting the show started. What the indie rock trio lacks in band members they make up with their unique direction of indie-emo fusion.

Crying
1. Revive
2. Sick
3. Batang Killjoy
4. Origin
5. ES
6. A Sudden Gust
7. Wool in the Wash

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I didn’t know what to expect from this band. I had been following The Hotelier since 2014’s “Home, Like Noplace Is There” which rocketed them to the fore-front of the emo revival spotlight with thunderous critic approval. It ended up on my top 10 albums of 2014 and stayed on my playlist until very recently. So it was not surprising when they leaned heavier on that album then their latest 2016 effort “Goodness,” which pivots on some of the chaotic tendencies of “Home” for a more austere refined sound all within the same vein where they had gotten themselves noticed. Lead singer and bass played Christian Holden gives off a bit of a goofy first impression with his appearance but does not reflect that goofiness in anyway through his performance, understandable due to the intensely personal nature of almost each song. Chill inducing is how I would have to sum up their performance this evening, but I was admittedly heavily biased based on my obsession with their records.

The Hotelier
1. An Introduction to the Album
2. The Scope of All of This Rebuilding
3. Two Deliverances
4. Among The Wildflowers
5. Life in Drag
6. N 42° 6′ 3.001″ W 71° 55′ 3.295″
7. Soft Animal
8. Sun
9. Your Deep Rest
10. End of Reel

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The room went from 0-60 in just the time it took the audience to figure out what the first song was. Instantly the veil of anticipation that had been nagging at everyone in the room throughout the show was lifted. All at once the room realized this was exactly what they had been waiting all day, week, month for. By the time everyone finished the first line of the song, “I want a heart tattoo,” Joyce Manor had the room in the palm of their hand. The first dozen songs went by shockingly fast with wave after wave of fan favorite sing alongs, while the second dozen dragged ever so slightly. The set was still over far too soon, pocketed equally with a spread of tracks pulled from across Joyce’s entire discography, including their recent 4th LP “Cody”. Safe to say, the crowd felt they got what they paid for .

Joyce Manor
1. Heart Tattoo
2. The Jerk
3. Fake I.D.
4. Constant Nothing
5. Falling in Love Again
6. Catalina Fight Song
7. Victoria
8. Eighteen
9. End of the Summer
10. Reversing Machine
11. Orange Julies
12. House Warming Party
13. Stairs
14. This Song Is a Mess but So Am I
15. Beach Community
16. Schley
17. Last You Heard of Me
18. Five Beer Plan
19. Leather Jacket
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20. Christmas Card
21. Constant Headache

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Fraternal Twin Basement Session

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by Ethan Hoffman-Sadka

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It was an absolute pleasure having Fraternal Twin in the basement, however, on our end, we completely fucked up. Thinking the session was initially scheduled for Friday, let’s just say we were pretty surprised to see Tom Christie and the rest of the band patiently waiting outside of the house at 4PM the day before. Nonetheless, Tom and the rest of the guys smiled through the pain (both emotionally and physically) as we scrambled to assemble camera equipment, non-grounded extension cords (that we later found out periodically shocked some of the bandmates throughout several takes) and bare, to no lighting whatsoever.

However, even with a shaky start and an amp nearly catching fire, once we pressed record, Tom’s charisma immediately lit up the dim, dusty, and most likely, asbestos-ridden basement. His patiently and delicately crafted songs are hauntingly pretty yet warm and welcoming, and on his latest album release, Homeworlding, via Ghost Ramp Records, Tom only finds more success in achieving this melancholy balance. Watch him play ,”Big Dipper”, below:

PREMIERE: Oompa’s “November 3rd”

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By Tim Gagnon

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Early November is an underrated contender for one of the worst times of the year.

If you somehow got a grip on that childlike sense of wonder over the impeding snow and holiday season, I equally envy you and am baffled by you. With this particular November being consumed by a) this fuckin’ election and b) a pretty soundly soul crushing 2016 all around along, there’s something refreshing and defiant in seeing local rapper/poet Oompa embrace an album title like November 3rd.

November 3rd, which fittingly dropped yesterday evening, is a document of end-of-the-year struggle buoyed by the electricity of one of the city’s most promising artistic voices. Between pleas to family members for understanding (“Dear Mama”), that occasional wish in the back of everyone’s head to be a kid again (“Take Me Back”), and keeping heart amidst a nationwide battle over seemingly simple declarations of #blacklivesmatter (“sayHERname”), Oompa covers familiar trials of humanity with smirking wordplay (which is on full display in first single “Your Girl” below) and incredible command of presence for a debut album.

Oompa’s official release show for November 3rd is tonight, but we absolutely recommend getting familiar with this album below before then.

Skinny Bones Release New Single and Video

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A few months ago, we reported that local folktronica duo Skinny Bones would be performing material from their upcoming album, ‘Ponta Delgada.’ The set at the Middle Upstairs represented a new direction for the band’s live setup, one free of guitars. On Halloween, in preparation for the album’s full release, the band debuted a new single, “Drop Bench Press,” and an accompanying video. 

The video, directed by Eli Susser, calls to mind some of David Lynch’s best, most disturbing work: it starts innocently enough, with various people hanging out on a nice looking beach. But soon, their normal activities start to take on a more disturbing, uncomfortable tone, like the close-up shots of one man’s peeling sunburn and another of someone applying sunscreen to a mannequin. Then, of course, there’s the dead fish, meat-stroking hands, and someone dressed like the gimp from ‘Pulp Fiction,’ just with a more 80s inspired color scheme. This one definitely constitutes a NSFW tag, unless you happen to work in a factory that makes demonically-possessed dolls or something. 

The song itself evokes a similar sense of dread, beginning with plucked acoustic guitar riff that gives way to electronic drum breaks and ghostly synths that revolve around the refrain of “Please love me.” Moving away from the airy, acoustic vibe of their first full-length, ‘Noise Floor,’ Skinny Bones have taken the time in between albums to explore a darker side to their music that has drawn comparisons to Arca and other purveyors of dark, dizzying rhythms. After you watch the video (and maybe take a shower to clean yourself), go favorite the single and follow Skinny Bones on Soundcloud to hear more from the album. 

Regina Spektor Announces Tour Dates for 2017

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<a style=”color: #000000; text-decoration: underline;” href=”http://allstonpudding.com/tag/Cliff-Notez”>By Cliff Notez</a>

After recently releasing her latest record Remember Us to Life, Regina Spektor began a 10 city European tour. Regina now plans to follow up efforts of promoting this album in 2017 starting in March. Begining in Montreal on March 5th  then heading to Rhode Island, Regina will eventually take her talent across the United States for a 18-city tour. This tour will hit Boston sooner than later, stopping at the Orpheum Theater on March 8th. 

Check out the rest of the dates for the tour and a stream of Regina Spektor’s newest compilation, Remember Us to Life, below.

 

 

Regina Spektor 2017 Tour Dates:
10/31 – Stockholm, SE @ Cirkus
11/01 – Copenhagen, DK @ Vega
11/02 – Oslo, NO @ Folkteatret
11/05 – Zurich, CH @ Jazznojazz Festival
11/07 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso
11/09 – Gateshead, UK @ The Sage
11/10 – Manchester, UK @ Albert Hall
11/12 – Bristol, UK @ Colston Hall
11/14 – London, UK @ Royal Festival Hall
11/15 – London, UK @ Royal Festival Hall
03/05 – Montreal, QC @ Metropolis
03/06 – Portland, RI @ Lupo’s
03/08 – Boston, MA @ Orpheum Theatre
03/09 – Portland, ME @ State Theatre
03/11 – New York, NY @ Radio City Music Hall
03/13 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore
03/14 – Washington, DC @ DAR Constitution Hall
03/16 – Atlanta, GA @ The Tabernacle
03/17 – Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore
03/20 – Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
03/23 – Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore
03/24 – Chicago, IL @ Chicago Theater
03/26 – St. Paul, MN @ The Palace
03/29 – Denver, CO @ The Fillmore
03/31 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex
04/02 – Portland, OR @ Keller Auditorium
04/03 – Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theatre
04/07 – Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre