Doors at Great Scott opened at 9pm on Monday night, and music from Amherst band Longings started up and refused to quit approximately 30 minutes later. The post-punk three piece played their practiced, bass-heavy songs as latecomers shuffled in, dripping from a downpour on the other side of the venue doors. Meghan Minior (Ampere) and Will Killingsworth (Ampere, Orchid) vocalized together on tracks from their 2015 self-titled release with an anguished urgency that actually makes you want to distinguish the lyrics under all that noisy, but practiced, dark-gaze rock. Drummer Cole Lanier sealed the deal with some sharp percussion, heard before when he played with Califorinia X. Also, props to Minior for RULING on bass at this show.
Next up, we got some solid indie rock from 4 (sometimes 5) piece Dreamtigers, from Beverly, Mass. It was almost refreshing to see two dudes harmonizing with each other on poetic, though vague, folky tunes. Those harmonies are definitely their vocal strong suit, but solo songs like “Gone Away” worked, especially with violinist Aisha Burns’ show-stealing interludes. In fact, Dreamtigers’ music is generally pretty clever. Just when you could get bored with what you might think is generic folk rock, Joe Longobardi makes a slick switch on drums, or guitarist Jake Woodruff plays a particularly catchy riff. With plenty of support from fans who were surely friends, Dreamtigers were a comfortable pick to open this headlining set.
Then, Aimée Argote simply strolled from the merch table to sidestage, and all of a sudden— there was Des Ark, with another guitarist and drummer and all. After a quick, soft-spoken greeting from the vocalist, the trio jumped right into it, playing mostly stuff from Everything Dies. The way Argote can literally whisper into the mic and captivate an entire room, the way she can evoke angst, apathy, gratitude, trauma, tenderness, hopefulness— all in one aching melody, is what makes Des Ark a great band. That, and the way the band members moved with each other on stage, pushing and pulling their bodies, and reacting to the music they themselves were playing. It was almost as if their instruments were playing them?!?!
Only joking. Argote slays as a musician in general, with intricate plucking, dynamic riffs, and sometimes, like on new song “Wet Carpet,” haunting melodies on the keyboard. Argote has mastered the limits to her voice too, from the breathy vocals of “Snake Stuff,” to her sheer range in “Coney Island Street Meat.” And then there’s the fluctuating volume in her songs, though less so on her latest release. Still, it’s hard to not scream about some subjects.
It’s these subjects that bind Des Ark and her fans together. The poignant music just makes it easy. Not to mention, Des Ark are one of those bands who have been around forever. Since 2006, there has existed a North Carolina radio station’s live recording of the first versions of seven Aimée Argote tunes. Des Ark– sometimes playing as a band, sometimes Aimee Argote solo– has put out 35 songs since then, though many of those are demos and re-recordings. But, due to multiple recent cancer diagnoses within her family, and because making music this meaningful always takes its time, it had been four years since Argote released an album. So, this small tour in support of her latest release, aptly named Everything Dies, was kind of a big deal for Argote and her loyal fans. .
This was evident as Argote approached the end of her set, took the stage alone, and asked the audience what they’d like to hear. Some requested “Eloise (2006),” others shouted “Lord of the Rings” (2006), “Howard’s Hour” (2011). But all those were no good, because try as she might, Argote just can’t remember her damn chords. “You should watch me find my keys in the morning,” she laughed as she plucked the first couple notes of the song she’d actually end up closing with, “My Little Bantam Rooster,” a song meant for her sick mother. The audience was fell silent, and so did Argote, almost. The last line, she nearly whispered, “If your body ain’t there// then my heart still knows where// to look for you// when I need to hear your voice.” And there hasn’t been a Monday show sadder than that.
Bat House has emerged from their usual home of cavernous basements in Allston to present us with a new video for their song “Twist” off their upcoming LP due out next spring. The song was produced by Brandon Hafetz this past summer. The Bat House homies are on tour right now, there but you can celebrate their return on January 18th at the Middle East Upstairs with Dent, drug Gamma Pope and Big Boy Club. Watch the video and/or stream the new song below!
“The most wonderful time of the year”can kiss my ass.
No, the holidays are fine; I’m talking Album Of The Year list season. On one hand, it’s a phenomenal way to discover new music, celebrate the albums that impacted our scene/society at large, and champion the “little artists”that flew just under people’s radars.
On the other hand, AOTY lists are the oldest facilitators of elitism, circle jerks, and metric arguments for music nerds and critics alike. Considering half the joy of keeping up with music each year is discovering albums from years and decades past, the traditional AOTY list inspires all the narrowly focused competition I sought to avoid when I quit youth soccer.*
While I highly enjoy and recommend checking out Allston Pudding’s collective favorite songs/EPs/albums of 2015 lists, I felt it was best to take some of my other favorite albums of the year to my father for the ultimate approval or denial. Although we did cover the likes of Kendrick, Sufjan, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Titus Andronicus, and Four Tet, we couldn’t fit everything on our nor AP’s list, so this week’s Father & Son serves as a lightning round to cover our bases. Like a reverse version of The Voice, if Dad didn’t dig the song at any point, he hit the pause button and turned his chair (although spinning around in a chair doesn’t really have the same effect as on The Voice, but you get what I mean)
*I was not only put on the Bad News Bears team of my town’s soccer league, but most of my teammates were six year olds, meaning I wasn’t even good enough to be a seven year old loser.
#15 – Lightning Round of 2015
Song #1: White Reaper’s “Pills”
Dad: [stops at 2:50]
Tim: Okay, we pretty much got through that song. You like it or…?
Dad: I liked it, but I got the idea of it by that point. I always like songs that have that “duk-duk-duk-duk”guitar, you know, like early U2. It’s that hard, uh, fast beat that I like too.
Tim: And you said towards the beginning of the song it reminded you of the ‘80s? Who specifically?
Dad: Very ‘80s. Oh man, that’s a good question. Very Kim Wilde; she had a few songs like that.
Tim: Good start to the lightning round then?
Dad: Yes, I approve! I like this song!
Song #2: Chastity Belt’s “Cool Slut”
Dad: [stops at 1:07]
Tim: Oh boy, we barely scraped a minute into it. You said “kinda lame” before the pause; explain that.
Dad: There wasn’t much to it. It was kind of a ‘blah’song, like kinda vanilla. I wasn’t toe-tapping, I was just kinda…ehh.
Tim: Just not much there then. Alright, we’ll keep moving. Sorry, Chastity Belt. Gotta give them credit for having the best song title of 2015 though, right?
Dad: [laughs] That’s something.
Song #3: Toro Y Moi’s “Empty Nesters”
Dad: [plays the full song] What’s this called? Tolo E… what?
Tim: ‘Toro Y Moi’. First part is Spanish for “bull”, second part is French for “and I”, I believe. Overall though, this one’s a keeper?
Dad: Yep, very ‘70s, but I like it. I liked that chorus. It did have a bit of sampling of different genres. It’s got a bit of your funk in there.
Tim: [laughs] As a very white dude, I don’t think I could ever claim funk as mine, although I do love it. Who did it remind you of from the ‘70s?
Dad: Ooh, I don’t know. It’s, like, very late ‘60s too. We just mentioned The Mamas and The Papas last week, but them and, like, The Turtles. A little before my time, but still good.
Song #4: Neon Indian’s “Annie”
Dad: [stops at 1:34]
Tim: So why the early stop?
Dad: It’s a good song, it’s just not my style. I thought it was professionally done, a good production. Sounds like No Doubt with a little hip-hop-ish influence, a little reggae! It’s, like, funkadelic. Is that a term?
Tim: That’s a band.
Dad: Oh, is it?
Tim: Oh c’mon, Dad, they’re from your time.
Dad: I dunno, it’s your funk. [laughs]
Song #5: Grimes’s “Flesh Without Blood”
Dad: [watching at 0:03 in] Woah…this is, uh, this looks like that Constantine movie.
Dad: [watching at 0:15 in] What is “flesh without blood”exactly? Now it looks like a scary Victoria’s Secret commercial with the wings.
Dad: [watching at 0:24 in] Uh, is this like a soft porn setup? I don’t know if I want you to print that.
Tim: I might have to. I’m not even sure how to respond to any of that.
Dad: [watches full video] Wow, this is great! I love her voice!
Tim: Really?! I’m glad! She’s got a different voice and usually you’re not about that.
Dad: I dunno, I liked it. Good pop song, good melody. I think this was the best one so far.
Song #6: Alex G’s “Bug”
Dad: [stops frantically at 1:22, i.e. the makeout scene] Stop stop stop stop. Alex…G? Hmm.
Tim: I like that the two people making out is what tipped you here.
Dad: Can you, like, minimize the screen?
Tim: Okay. So yeah, you had a bit of feedback during the song: “guy sounds like he can’t play guitar”, right?
Dad: Yeah. Sounds like he only has a few chords he can play.
Tim: Why did you stick with it then?
Dad: I wanted to give it the benefit of the doubt and hear the chorus. You know, maybe the chorus had redeeming values…but it didn’t.
Tim: [laughs] When would you have stopped if you were a less forgiving man?
Dad: I dunno, when he was pissing. The song was just a guy going “blimb-blimb-blimb-blimb”on his guitar, not a “beach driving”song at all…
Tim: How would you like me to spell “blimb”? B-L-I-M-B?
Dad: Just say whatever the technical term for “blimbing”is, jeez.
Song #7: Joanna Newsom’s “Sapokanikan”
Dad: [Stops at 1:30] I’m not a fan.
Tim: That is three times the length in which I thought you’d listen to that.
Dad: I guess I’m very patient tonight…I’m learning patience in my old age, you know. It started out pretty good, like a quirky Broadway song. As I got into it, it got repetitive and her voice was just too quirky and weird on the high notes.
Tim: She’s got a very different voice, it turns a lot of people off from her stuff. I didn’t really get into her music until this album to be honest.
Dad: So she’s had, like, a career?
Tim: Oh yeah, she plays huge theaters. Like, she played the same venue I saw Sufjan Stevens in earlier this year.
Dad: Ah, good ol’Soufflé.
Song #8: Courtney Barnett’s “Depreston”
Dad: [Stops at 2:20] Her voice is a little ehh…but I like this song. Very chillacious, err, I mean…uh, chillax?
Tim: Wait, chillacious? Have we finally invented a word?
Dad: You know what I meant.
Tim: You’re giving me the “don’t post this part” look, but I’m going to post it anyway. Thank you, Courtney Barnett, for making “chillacious” happen.
Song #9: Trust Fund’s “Cut Me Out”
Dad: [stops at 0:33]
Tim: Alright, that is, by far, the quickest you’ve told me to stop.
Dad: Ayy-yeesh. I just did not like that.
Tim: Was it the voice? I remember his voice took a little while to grow on me.
Dad: The voice, the lack of melody I could hear, it was just…I could’ve picked it up and done that, I think.
Tim: Jeez, I dunno. I think there’s a beauty to some of the simplicities you might be picking up. I feel like they make really catchy, but not traditionally accessible songs while being super relatable or whatever. And they put out two really good LPs this year, which is crazy.
Dad: Hmmf, I dunno. I just didn’t like it.
Tim: Did you like the dogs at least?
Dad: [laughs] That microphone bit was a little funny. Unique.
Song #10: Hop Along’s “Sister Cities”
Dad: [stops at 2:20] Ahh, Hopalong Cassidy.
Tim: What’s Hopalong Cassidy?
Dad: You don’t know him? Oh my god.
Tim: Teach me, Father. I am young, remember?
Dad: Ugh, look him up. But yeah, this is very Bob Seger and I like the song, but, uh…I don’t know if I wanna say it.
Tim: Speak freely.
Dad: I wish she had a stronger voice. The song could be a really good song in my book, maybe even a hit, but I just wasn’t liking her voice.
Tim: I know we sometimes play up the whole “Dad doesn’t understand” bit each week, but I’m actually really glad you said that. Admittedly, I couldn’t latch onto Hop Along’s first album for a long while because of Frances’s voice. I kept trying because I couldn’t put my finger on why it was so compelling despite that and I eventually found it in their lyrics. Eventually, I got used to her voice as this modern day Janis Joplin-type rasp and this second LP is just filled with some of their best songs yet, so I get where you’re coming from… for once. Definitely a grower.
Dad: It grew on you, eh? I dunno. I can definitely hear the Janis comparison, but based on those two minutes…
Tim: You made it a lot further than I expected given your love of traditional pop vocals.
Dad: Well, the band sounds tight. It sounds like a Bob Seger song on my running playlist on my iPod. I like the song, but…I dunno, the voice might be a grower.
Tim: Well hey, you made it to the end of the lightning round!
Dad: Woohoo!
Tim: Which one was your favorite of the bunch?
Dad: Uh, I really liked that Grimes one most. Maybe that Toro one second.
Tim: And the rest were terrible?
Dad: No! It wasn’t as bad as I thought; I thought you were going to give me all duds.
Tim: Oh, just wait for 2016. We’re gonna get weirder, I promise.
It’s finally that time: Allston Pudding’s 25 favorite albums of 2015! As I’m sure you’ve all noticed, music fans were spoiled with new material over the past 365 days. With a host of marquee hip-hop releases, excellent entries in the fields of punk and electronica and nationally-lauded full lengths from some of Boston’s local heroes, a week didn’t go by without at least one more excellent new album to hold our attention. As you can imagine, narrowing everything we loved this year down to just 50 was tough.
Our final list is a collaborative product representing the opinions of our entire staff. After hours spent whittling down nearly 150 great LPs on a comically large white board, we took to voting, with everyone giving golf-scored values to their favorites. The order of our picks are not meant to single out any album as necessarily better than the one before it or worse than the one that follows, but rather show the music that most connected with our writers this year. We hope that you enjoy our analysis of these 25 great LPs and check out anything you might have (understandably) missed in 2015!
25. Viet Cong- (The band formerly known as) Viet Cong
After the disbanding of Women and the death of Chris Reimer, Matt Flegel and Mike Wallace did probably the only thing they know how to do—form a band and continue writing music. Really, really excellent music at that.
Viet Cong’s self-titled debut album was one of those releases that felt like the first breath after getting struck in the stomach. The darker aspects of the album seem to be there just to point out how welcoming a relief beauty can actually be. The cover itself, a heavy bandage being cut off a hand, seems to enforce this. Musically, they balance these two ideas well—psychedelic, hooky melodies are counteracted by warlike drums and intensely existential imagery. Take their song “March of Progress” as an example. The album highlight starts out with enduring, pounding drums, followed by slow-peeling, This Heat-style guitars and lyrics dealing with severe alienation. But then it blooms. The song switches immediately into an up-tempo, dance-worthy contemplation of “the difference between love and hate.” The music is an assuring reminder that embodying these kinds of nihilistic ideas can, in fact, be beautiful. Viet Cong is one of those kinds of reminders that pain and resilience are the same thing. And that death makes for one hell of a punchline.
-Seth Garcia
24. Barf Radio- Stumpf*
Stumpf’s emergence on the local music roadmap is as exciting for what it has already delivered (an excellent debut record) as what it might deliver in the future. Barf Radio is a raw, concise and largely unfiltered effort that, while being a lo-fi gem in its own right, also hints at Stumpf’s nearly limitless potential. It may be a while before Donnie Blue and Aaron Landy decide which sonic direction they’ll take on LP #2, but that just means we have plenty of time to let the simple genius of a track like “Mad Trist” sink in while waiting for the day when we say we knew Stumpf before they were one of Boston’s biggest names.
-Mark Zurlo
23. I Love You, Honeybear – Father John Misty
Father John Misty has never come across as an especially friendly character, but I Love You, Honeybear finds singer-songwriter Joshua Tillman’s brash alter ego sharpening his barbs to harsh new proportions. The album is impressive on multiple fronts, from its nonstop wit to the way it makes ballad-like arrangements feel fresh, but no accomplishment is more notable than Tillman’s ability to craft a self-absorbed, snide persona that’s still so enjoyable. Maybe it’s his saving grace that the FJM facade is constantly cracking, leaking sincere-sounding thoughts on love and despair that become more regular but never any less jarring. Whatever it is, beneath all the detached observations, I Love You, Honeybear is an album about a man who’s disillusioned with the world, but deeply enamored with his wife. In a sea of depressed records, it gives existential woe a uniquely romantic spin: if we’re all doomed anyway, why not be head-over-heels in love?
-Karen Muller
22. Who Me?– Juan Waters
The chillest.
-Andrew Gibson
21. Full Circle- Dæphne*
Full Circle is an 8 song, 25 minute-long, kinda emo, kinda punk album that feels like an entire summer. Something you can both jam and cry to! Oddly well rounded, the steady, sludgy guitarwork perfectly balances singer Alexa Johnson’s floaty and confident vocals. The music is tight, and the lyrics are frank and familiar. And maybe it feels that way because three of the band members are locals; maybe it’s because angsty music about guilt, regret and self-worth is so relevant. Whatever the reason, Dæphne changed the bummer-rock game this fall with this full length.
We carefully crafted our list of top 50 albums of the year in the only way we know how: the most difficult and time-consuming way. With a giant white board, color-coded X’s and ?’s, and a golf-score Google Doc system, we eventually got it together to bring you our favorite albums of the year. Often our lists include releases from the local scene, and we have denoted those below. There were some that just slipped under the cracks that we want to honorably mention, so you can check them out: Quarterbacks, Long Beard, Dick Diver, Fraternal Twin, Space Mountain, Burglary Years, Tomboy, Funeral Advantage, Dirty Dishes and Brittle Brian.
We’re keeping it simple for the first half of our list, but stay tuned for the top 25 tomorrow which will feature opinion pieces from our staff. Hope you enjoy!
If nostalgia means “a pain from an old wound,” the new release from Soft Fangs pretty much has that interpretation covered. “The Air,” the newest single to come from the Brooklyn-based band a.k.a John Lutkevich, is what some might call delicate but potent. Noisy guitars and thrashing drums on this track evoke the heaviness of what inspired his new album– revisiting his childhood home, and the memories it contains. But the music always makes way for Lutkevich’s airy, fragile vocals. Both parts eerie and provoking, after 3 and a half minutes it just… ends. Kind of like childhood itself.
The single is streaming free at Consequence of Sound, but you can listen to it here:
In all the year end fuzz, let’s not forget the little people. An EP can pack as much punch as a full-length album, and we love recognizing smaller releases from artists who might get overlooked on all the other music sites. We present you with our top 30 EPs below, and thanks for another great year for sharing a love of music with us.
*=Local
30. Kindling – Galaxies*
29. Mac DeMarco – Another One
28. A Sunny Day in Glasgow –Planning Weed Like it’s Acid/Life is Loss
Our pal and musician extraordinaire Sports Coach has released a new music video for “Which Does Not Begin and Does Not End” from his fall album Until Something Works. Directed by Paul Oh from Baltimore, who Thatcher of Sports Coach met while touring through Charleston, SC, the video was shot in various parts of Massachusetts including woods in Canton and Jamaica Plain. Thatcher says about working with Paul, “Paul was a great person to work with and to this day this is my favorite video I’ve been a part of. Really captures what was in my head when I was making this song.” Thatcher and Paul have a similar work ethic where they are constantly starting new projects and putting their all into them. Sports Coach has even released the first few songs from his upcoming album Forgetful and Fading which will be out Wednesday December 16th.
Watch the video for “Which Does Not Begin and Does Not End” and stream the teaser for Forgetful and Fading below.
Deerhunter’s tour rolled through Boston on Thursday with a stop at Royale and delivered a packed set of fan favorites and prime cuts from their latest studio effort Fading Frontier.
Now it can be easy to get all the “deer” themed band names in indie rock music confused so whether you appreciate it or not lets do a quick run-down of all of them. First off, they all seemed to be breaking out circa 2007-2009 which can make things confusing. Truth is, I dismissed the Atlanta, Georgia based band Deerhunter because it just seemed like too much “deer” to take on at the time. It was all too much, too many “deer” themed band names. A New England native, I was undeniably drawn to Providence, Rhode Island’s Deertick with their first two albums bursting out behind John McCauley’s scratchy vocals and heartfelt lyrics. It just made sense, the band which felt like a well-kept indie music secret at the time put on a helluva fun live show for a few years and since then has gone on to be an a staple post-fest host of the illustrious Newport Folk Fest after party. Divulging deeper into the indie art rock scene there’s San Francisco’s Deerhoof , who caught my attention with their raw staccato beats, sticky crunchy guitars, maximum volume and a wonderfully unique Yoko-esque singer (only listenable and quite a bit more lovable). Out of all them, they’ve been around the longest and hence are probably the most annoyed by the additional “deer” bands that were popping up left and right.
To throw a curve ball into the mix, also originally based out of Providence, Rhode Island, The Dear Hunter mysteriously climbed to some acclaim amidst with their thematic rock concept albums. I remember these rock acts were hyped the shit out of when they came through the Somerville theatre in 2013, but it never caught my attention. I didn’t get it and with their bands name being so closely related to Deerhunter, they both just never fell on my radar. On top of that, if we throw in the Antler’s to the discussion we could quite possibly cover almost all parts of a poor deer’s anatomy in indie rock band names.
Fast forward to 2015 and Deerhunter, the Atlanta, Georgia band has made one of the most compelling and original records of the year. Garnering attention from the groove laden single “Snakeskin,” and twisting your ear with wildly different “Breaker” and “Living My Life;” my curiosity about Deerhunter had me digging back through their entire catalog. Their show Thursday at the Royale proved that it was not only worth my time to catch up with them but quite possibly solidified them as my favorite “deer” band out there.
Behind lead singer and the creative archetype of the band Bradford Cox, Deerhunter’s show opened with “Desire Lines” off of 2010’s Halocyn Digest and “The Missing” off of 2013’s Manomania before committing to Fading Frontier material for the majority of the fifteen song set. “Breaker” didn’t quite capture the melancholic vibe is presents on the record, but “Living My Life” was a song that was totally transformed live. Behind a Paul Simon Graceland’esque bass line not quite so evident on the record, the song took on almost a Carribean uptempo flare and was one of the highlights of the night. “All the Same” saw some light moshing break out in the crowd and from my view in the balcony you could see the Deerhunter has some pretty passionate fans. “Take Care,” another highlight was a sort of psychedelic waltz. Cox introduced “Helicopter” to the crowd only to confusingly break into “Snakeskin” towards the end of the set and saving it to kick off the four song encore. The set had very little banter, and was free of Billy Corgan stories that have caught headlines lately, with Cox opting to let the music do that talking on this night.
Overall, the set which seemed short captured what makes Deerhunter not only stand apart from the other “deer” bands, but from a lot of the norm in indie rock this year. Its spacey, ambient and every song was stretched out by the four piece band layering on textures of fuzz, noise and Cox’s crooning vocals.
Atlas Sound, Cox’s solo endeavor kicked off the night and essentially seems like his own personal spaceship powered by drum machine, keyboards and samples which he weaves in and out of the mix seamlessly.
There’s something about Des Ark touring in December that just feels so right. It’s like, you know when you listen to someone’s favorite song and you feel like you understand that person just a little bit better? Those are all of Des Ark’s songs for me. Guitarist, singer and songwriter Aimée Argot is bringing the band along to Great Scott on Monday in support of her new record, Everything Dies, to play tender tunes to suit all your sad queer needs. But seriously. This is Argot’s first full-length since 2011’s Don’t Rock The Boat, Sink The Fucker (and if we’re lucky, we’ll get to hear a couple songs off this heartbreaker of an album too). This show will give you feels — mostly the ones where you obsess over your own mortality. Don’t underestimate it.
Plus, opening for the North Carolina based band are Longings, a nosier punk trio from Amherst, MA who put out their record S/T in September.
Beverly, MA band Dreamtigers will also be playing this show, providing all the dreamy indie rock your tiny heart could desire. Local artists and honest lyrics? Your Monday night’s not gonna get much better than that.
