PREVIEW: Des Ark w/ Longings, Dreamtigers at Great Scott (12/14)

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by Jackie Swisshelm
Photo by Marc Krause

Des Ark

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.

 

 

REVIEW: Vanessa Carlton at Brighton Music Hall (12/7)

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by Jackie Swisshelm
Photos by Christine Varriale

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Three tiny flames sat atop a piano on Monday night, burning in anticipation of Vanessa Carlton’s arrival to the stage at Brighton Music Hall. Offstage, fans— ranging in gender and age— nursed beers and sugary cocktails, and kept themselves close to where they thought Carlton might emerge. Opener Joshua Hyslop had just departed the stage, leaving the crowd to drink, shop, and ponder the popularity of this weird new genre of Ed Sheeran-y sad white boys, with confessional lyrics, an amazing voice, and a really awkward stage presence. A Monday night in a tight venue with 400 tired, drunk thirty-somethings is not how I would have imagined a concert for the “Thousand Miles” star a decade ago. But then again, Vanessa Carlton is not the same person she was 10 years ago. And neither are her fans.

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To slowly introduce this notion, Carlton began her set with a handful of throwbacks.  With her recognizable straight, dark locks contrasting a white, shaggy, faux-fur jacket, the pianist looked at the crowd but said nothing before starting the set with 2011’s single “Carousel” (including a really well-crafted Tom Petty, “Learning to Fly” lead-in), followed up by “Tall Tales for Spring.” Carlton presented the next song on the setlist by the year it was written (2004), and a quick apology to her brother for having to relentlessly endure a song about his sister’s “first time.” The first three notes were struck, and everyone in attendance was beaming. More than half were reliving some memories. And Carlton proved that “White Houses” is a song that grown men and women know every goddamn word to.

But this tour isn’t about her throwbacks. Liberman, Carlton’s most recent release, is supposed to be a 10-song-long dreamlike state, with quirky, atmospheric touches, and an earnestness that’s best-suited for an established artist. So it was interesting to see her convert her new sound— one she’s said is “sonically different,” and needs to be heard through headphones— to a live performance.

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In many ways, Carlton’s live Liberman performance was widely successful. The lights behind the piano doused the venue in soft blues and purples, and the intro to “Take It Easy,” with its eerie, reverbing qualities was enough to hush an intoxicated crowd. Carlton’s soft-spoken explanation for tracks like “Willows,” about how it feels to give yourself to another person, and how parents had lives before they had kids, and “Operator,” about an older woman who’s a bad influence, gave fans something that the album hadn’t yet. Where she nixed the storytelling aspects of her lyrics, she makes up with by simply providing context to her audience. And although Carlton has said that the songs on Liberman aren’t necessarily personal to her, the live performance of them tells a different story. With each note struck on “House of Seven Swords,” and, especially, “Nothing Where Something Used To Be,” anyone in attendance could tell that these songs are something really profound for the artist. Even the quality of Carlton’s voice— sometimes severe, sometimes delicate, always distinguishable and stunning— ushered in these new songs with an obvious passion, giving the entire album a whole new relatable, listening experience.

Not everyone was so focused on Carlton’s masterful pianowork, stunning vocals, and genuine love for making music, however. Slowly but surely, the fans that were too impatient (read: wasted on a Monday night) couldn’t keep it to themselves. They became bored and talkative— two things that don’t mix well while there’s an acoustic singer/songwriter on stage at BMH. Some hollered at the artist, repeatedly requesting The Song, some pounded on the stage in an outrageous and aggressive attempt for attention from Carlton and “the band” a.k.a. violinist/composer/feathered and blonde-haired beauty, Skye Steele.

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We were ten songs in when Vanessa Carlton said she had written the next song when she was 16 years old. Moments later, those groundbreaking piano notes registered to the crowd, and that’s pretty much the last I heard of “A Thousand Miles” played live. Quickly masking Carlton’s voice was the inebriated wailings of a big, Bud Light-clutching clique standing about five inches from my right eardrum. Smartphones were whipped out wildly. People hugged each other. Everyone in the venue was beaming. Everyone, that is, except the performer.

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And it’s not like Vanessa Carlton is going to stop playing “A Thousand Miles.” She knows what her audience wants. But as much fun as it is to (badly) belt out the chorus to your favorite song, surrounded by your favorite friends who also kind of know most of the words, there’s a time and a place. Maybe it was 2001, when you still paid for CDs and actually bought Vanessa Carlton’s album. Maybe it was last week at a throwback dance party in your shitty, overpriced triple decker apartment in Somerville. But it probably should never be during an artist’s actual performance… louder than the artist herself… only to ditch the scene as soon as the four minute song is up.

However, something should be said for the majority of fans who remained and gave Carlton their attention as she finished off her 1.5 hour set with “Hear the Bells,” and “Home”— a song she dedicated to her Boston fans, who “always make this place feel like home.” I mean, there were audience members who knew every word to her Liberman songs. And if a ripened, talented woman in the music industry can consistently shake off inappropriate show behavior, put out music for the last 15 years, and still gather a dedicated fan following? She’s doing something right.

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Our Staff Picks: Favorite Songs of the Year

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By Allston Pudding

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Ranking songs is very hard. We give major props to all the media outlets who are able to do it. We can’t quite make up our mind or become a giant Allston Pudding Mega Zord to make an intelligent decision on The Best Song of the Year™. Instead, we’ve put together a playlist of some of our favorite songs of the year for you to enjoy. Maybe you’ve heard some. Maybe some of them slipped through the cracks in 2015. We’re here to help you make 2015 The Best Year for Music Yet™.

Ava Luna, “Coat of Shellac”

“Coat of Shellac” presents its listener with the true essence of Ava Luna: a noisy, artsy, soulful band that toes the lines of genres better than anyone since Talking Heads. The groovy, soulful vibes propelled by Felicia Douglass’ perfect voice make “Coat of Shellac” one of the catchiest songs of the year that not enough people will have stuck in their head. Hopefully this list will change that.

-Christine Varriale

Infinity Girl, “Dirty Sun”

I’m not much for cassettes to be quite honest, but Disposable America is one of the rare exceptions to my disdain and Infinity Girl’s Harm was the label’s crown jewel in 2015. Shoegazey, but never formulaic, Infinity Girl manages to blend noise with impossibly catchy riffs so seamlessly, it’s (a little) easier to forgive them for moving out of Boston.

-Tim Gagnon

Speedy Ortiz, “Homonovus”

Foil Deer was all about challenging toxic forces, both in relationships and on a larger scale, and to me, no song summed that up better than “Homonovus”. Building from a deceivingly low-key intro into the chorus’s decisive, squealing guitars, the track doesn’t reveal its full power until halfway through, perfectly mirroring lyrics about recognizing ability and claiming full agency after “letting them stand on our feet.” I’m usually a fan of dramatic dynamic structures to begin with, and never more so than when they back a lyrical theme this thoroughly.

-Karen Muller

Diet Cig, “Sleep Talk”

“Sleep Talk” opens with Diet Cig singer Alex Luciano’s belting “I can’t play instruments very well / And I’ll eat all of your cereal” – and builds into a rousing anthem about going back home and feeling lost at the same time. The song is simple in structure and content, yet it’s the one I kept reaching for in 2015. In a year full of new, emboldened artists unafraid of challenging the heteronormative white male status quo of the music industry, there’s something incredibly powerful about writing a song that’s not technically complicated, lyrically literary, or full of slick production tricks to surprise the sound guy. It’s art for its own sake, it’s not for you, and no matter how well you judge that Luciano can play her instruments, it’s a fantastic song, and it’s sticking around.

-Sydney Moyer

Juan Wauters, “Woodside, Queens”

The chillest

-Andrew Gibson

Carly Rae Jepsen, “Run Away With Me”

Carly Rae Jepsen’s hit song starts off with a sax riff that puts the sax from M83’s “Midnight City” to shame. What follows is writing that feels effortless and distinguished among pop music today. There’s wants and desires and lust and love: “Baby, take me to the feeling.”

-Jeremy Stanley

Potty Mouth, “Cherry Picking”

From the very first guitar strums and lyrical harmonies over “fresh, sweet, cool, sleek” you know this song from Northampton punk outfit Potty Mouth is going to be great. Throw in fuzzy basslines, a snappy chorus and some interesting spoken word lyricism and you end up with a near perfect punk rock track.

-Andy Sears

Courtney Barnett, “Elevator Operator”

I was reluctant to listen to Courtney Barnett at first, but her new album later became my most listened-to record of the year (thanks last.fm). As far as this song goes: “I’m not suicidal, just idling insignificantly” just about sums it up. The lyrics could have been extracted from the discography of your favorite emo band, but instead they’re jauntily juxtaposed with Barnett’s signature pastoral rock sound and inate ability to weave together vivid and all-too-lifelike imagery in her songs.

-Deanna Archetto

Mothers, “It Hurts Until it Doesn’t”

Everything about this song is beautfully haunting and just sticks. That line, “I was crushed by the weight of my ego, but never honest enough to say it,” gets me every time. I’m so anxious for everything Mothers will have to offer in the new year.

-Lauren Moquin

Krill, “Mom”

Never have I related to a lyric more than Jonah Furman’s command “unclench your jaw, and open your mouth to me.” Every year fills itself with the dim frustration that comes with measuring the desires of others to your own. Krill’s “Mom” tackles that and so much more. It’s a poem wearing the faded jacket of garage rock greatness. I suggest reading, listening and repeating.

-Becca DeGregorio

Toe, “オトトタイミングキミト (Ototo Timing Kimi to)”

The Japanese group known simply as toe has been a band that has been near and dear to my heart for a good number of years. Having traveled to Japan and experienced their music first hand, it was magical to see them release a new album this year and actually tour the US in earnest. This song really emcompasses that album for me with its simple yet deep, soothing yet entoxicating sound that brings me back to brighter days.

-Reggie Woo

Lady Lamb, “Ten”

Almost five minutes long, “Ten” is a repetitive series of visceral, but far away memories. Sung just by Aly Spaltro’s raw, crooning voice and an electic guitar, her melodies throughout the last verse specifically bring me to my knees. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: No one today is making music quite like Lady Lamb.

-Jackie Swisshelm

Grimes, “Flesh Without Blood”

While Claire Boucher admits that the Grimes narrative is no longer one she has complete control over, she has certainly helped push it along with a deep, sleek pop record. Against a propulsive beat, Boucher documents a fragmented and fading relationship while pulling no punches. The pairing of musical highs and lyrical lows helps make this one a standout, and when the video dropped, Christine and I basically had an out-of-body experience while giving it a first listen.

-Andrew Stanko

Ought, “Beautiful Blue Sky”

Ought makes messes look beautiful. In just under eight minutes, the post-punk Canadians strip back the catalog appeal of suburbia to reveal its muted, bloodied, depressed whimpers held hostage behind a white picket fence. Every conversational line Tim Beeler spits out to an imagined neighbor, the more heightened the song’s anxiety escalates until it eventually drowns out in wondering guitar lines. I cried a lot this year. This is the song I cried to the most.

-Nina Corcoran

Stove, “Jock Dreams”

“Jock Dreams” has been impossible to stop listening to since its release. It simultaneously exemplifies Steve Hartlett’s sense of humor and sincerity.

-Sami Martasian

Laura Stevenson, “Torch Song”

My dream is to one day run with the Olympic Torch while listening to “Torch Song” and the rest of Cocksure on repeat.

-Mark Zurlo

Gravel is Heading Out on Tour!

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By Christine Varriale

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You probably recognize the name Gravel from either our most recent mixtape to seeing their name on some stacked shows recently with the likes of Worriers, Potty Mouth, Ursula and Hellrazor. They’re leaving the safety of Salem and its sayonces for a short tour kicking it off in Cambridge at Zuzu on Monday 12/14 and continuing through the North East-ish. Listen to their straight up siqqq rock n’ roll tunes and check out the details of their dates below.

12/14: with Adam PC, The Nude Party, and Johnnie and the Foodmasters at Zuzu in Cambridge, 21+, FREE (fb event)
12/15: All the Star Wars movies are screening, and then Gravel will play after at Barrelman in Marblehead, MA. Sounds like a DREAM
12/16: with Charles, Bunny Boy, and Heavy Pockets at STUDiO Collaborative ArtSpace in Dover, NH, $5-10 (fb event)
12/17: with The Skaggs, Addie Pray, and So Totally at Pharmacy in Philly, $5 (fb event)
12/19: Santamania 2015 Night Two with Pretty Pretty, Vacation, and many more at Legends Bar and Grill in Latonia, KY (fb event)

PREVIEW: 2nd Annual Noise For Toys Benefit (12/12)

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By Tim Gagnon

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I have begrudgingly accepted the fact that it’s not likely I will feel the same amount of joy in life as I felt on Christmas Day 1997.

I was five years old, I had slept for maybe two and a half hours that night, and I damn near howled for twelve hours straight when I snuck downstairs to find a Playmobile castle set waiting under the tree for me at 5 AM.

While I still ponder if anything in the adult world could make me lose my mind as fully as that glorious castle, organizations like Toys For Tots showcase the hard truth that some kids don’t get to have that quintessential “toy under the tree” moment this holiday season. For those that aren’t the best with holiday shopping for loved ones, never mind kids you’ve never met before, enter the 2nd Annual Noise For Toys benefit show.

Happening tomorrow at the phenomenally named house venue Make Out Point (so yeah, ask a toy-bearing punk for the address), Noise For Toys brings shoegaze, punk, and all-around noisy bands for a eardrum-shattering benefit with all proceeds going to Toys for Tots. Having two of our favorite regional music blogs, Clicky Clicky Music and Ash Gray Proclamation, organizing the bill is promising enough, but the lineup would honestly make the Grinch’s shriveled heart explode.

Even though they formed within the year, Gold Muse are no strangers to us. Catching what was apparently their first show ever opening for Infinity Girl this past September, the quartet made a pretty sizable impression with a perfected balance of dreamy, but jangle poppy confections wrapped in distortion. It almost seemed unnatural for a band on their first show to possess such confidence until we got the hint that they’re an amalgamation of members from Earthquake Party!, Soccer Mom, and Swirlies. With that kind of pedigree, we doubt they’ll be strangers to many in the coming year.

When we premiered Coaches’s lead-off single “Elizabeth Warren” back in October, I braced for how our dear senator might respond. The MA/NY-split band (including two members of Infinity Girl) definitely don’t mean any disrespect, but “Warren” is easily one of the sauciest songs about an elected official we’ve heard in a long while. “I thought of you and left the harbor for Boston Proper just to be near you / ‘cause if ‘we the people’, then I’m your equal” seriously might be the lyric of the year for me personally. While Coaches takes on a slightly grungier, but more jovial feel that Infinity Girl’s fuzz and gloom, the distortion still runs heavy through their debut SHUSH EP, which will be released on cassette tomorrow at the show.

While bands like Joanna Gruesome, Makthaverskan, Fear of Men, and Westkust prove that Europe’s got the whole jangle-punk game locked down, bands like Easthampton’s Kindling give me hope for an American renaissance. Their Galaxies 12” this past month not only marked their first release with revered Florida punk label No Idea, but a marked step-up in recording from their humble, but rad debut Spare Room in 2014. “Blinding Wave” basically warns you with its title before laying down pummeling riffs, whereas the remainder of Galaxies takes on a sludgier, shoegazey approach to walloping.

Where most of the Noise for Toys bands casually mix distortion-heavy genres together, Elizabeth Color Wheel take it that extra step by branding themselves as “shoepunk”. The genre mix certainly isn’t unwarranted; moments of brashness on this year’s self-titled EP meet up with sludgy droning held together by galaxy-sized reverb. Although their two track Single this past September shows its intentions by name, it serves as the band’s finest declaration of their unique dichotomy. “Move” stomps through with doom and gloom as their singer commands despite sounding at least two blocks away from the mic, while “Wish” proves its single-worthy catchiness at breakneck speeds.

The show starts at 8 PM and will be $5 entry or free with an unwrapped toy. Even if your gift giving selection only goes as far as dumpster diving behind thrift shops, all proceeds will benefit Toys for Tots, so you’ll be a good person regardless!

PREMIERE: Egypt EP

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By Christine Varriale

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We brought you the first taste of Shytalk’s Egypt EP a few weeks ago with “Egypt 1,” but today we’re excited to bring you Cooper Leardi’s whole new EP. It travels halfway across the world, creating a sonic landscape intricate enough to keep you grounded here in Allston. Stream the EP below and check out Shytalk playing tonight at a house ~somewhere~

Burglary Years, Shytalk, Billy Baldwin, Leigh Cheri and Able Days
Top Hat Factory
December 11, 2015 | 7:00pm

Palehound, Michael Christmas, Speedy Ortiz among Boston Music Award Winners

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By Sydney Moyer

Palehound

The winners of the annual Boston Music Awards were announced late last night at the Sinclair in Cambridge, and showcased a wide breadth of the city’s scenes and talents, as they have been since 1987. To no one’s surprise, our pals Speedy Ortiz swept many of the larger awards, including Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, and Album of the Year after putting out a breathtaking sophomore release, Foil Deer, out on Carpark Records earlier this year.

Among the other standouts were Palehound, whose excellent debut full-length Dry Food won them New Artist of the Year, Michael Christmas for Hip-hop Artist of the Year, and Evan Dando, of Lemonheads fame, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Check out the full list of winners below.

2015 HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE: Evan Dando

ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Speedy Ortiz

ALBUM/EP OF THE YEAR: Speedy Ortiz, “Foil Deer”

SONG OF THE YEAR: Speedy Ortiz, “Raising the Skate”

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Palehound

LIVE ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Tigerman WOAH

ROCK/INDIE ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Dirty Bangs

HIP-HOP ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Michael Christmas

POP ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Ruby Rose Fox

R&B ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Bad Rabbits

AMERICANA ARTIST OF THE YEAR: The Ballroom Thieves

BLUES ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Barrence Whitfield & the Savages

DJ/PRODUCER OF THE YEAR: Frank White

ELECTRONIC ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Bearstronaut

FOLK ARTIST OF THE YEAR: The Ballroom Thieves

INTERNATIONAL ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Shun Ng

JAZZ ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Lake Street Dive

METAL ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Worshipper

PUNK/HARDCORE ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Zip-Tie Handcuffs

SINGER-SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR: Abbie Barrett

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR: Ruby Rose Fox

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR: Will Daley

STUDIO PRODUCER OF THE YEAR: Ed Valauskas

VIDEO OF THE YEAR: Petty Morals, “Just a Game”

BEST DANCE NIGHT: Soulelujah at Zuzu

BEST LIVE MUSIC VENUE: The Sinclair

BEST LIVE ONGOING RESIDENCY: The Blue Ribbons at Toad

BEST MUSIC BLOG: Vanyaland

BEST LOCAL PROMOTER: Bowery Presents Boston

BEST LIVE MUSIC PHOTOGRAPHER: Michael Sparks Keegan

BEST BRAND COLLABORATION: Dirty Bangs/Wrangler Television Spot

BEST CHARITABLE EFFORT: Speedy Ortiz/Girls Rock Camp Foundation

UNSUNG HERO AWARD: Chip Rives

 

And The Kids Ready To Start A New Era At Great Scott This Friday

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By Mark Zurlo

and the kids

A band playing a residency at a Boston venue is a rarity in today’s “hit every city as many times as possible” music culture. Even the largest acts usually spend two nights max in Boston before packing up their gear and heading on to the next city. This is due in part to the economic reality of being in a band, which usually requires an act to constantly be on the road selling tickets and merch to make ends meet. While you may be able to fill the same room with die hard fans night after night, it’s highly unlikely those same fans are going to keep buying your t-shirts after they’ve already got a closet full of them.

Then of course there is the fact that it’s not easy to build a fanbase that is both large enough and dedicated enough to make a multi-night stay in one city a success. When you think about acts that have been able to pull it off in Boston, you think of household names like The Police, who did it at The Rat in Kenmore Square in 1978, or U2, who played four shows at TD Garden this past summer.

A band you probably didn’t think of is And The Kids. With only one full length to their name, they don’t seem like prime candidates to be setting up shop to play a bunch of shows in one place, especially when that one place isn’t their hometown. But in August, the Northampton-based four-piece did exactly that, playing three successful shows at Great Scott.

“People are always busy in big cities – it’s actually easier to make a name for yourself in smaller cities”

They might not have the name recognition, the back catalog, or the local roots of Speedy Ortiz, who did a three show Great Scott residency a year ago, or Pile, who is currently in the midst of a residency of their own, but they make up for it with accessible-yet-intricate pop songs that have earned high praise from some notable sources, including Pitchfork and NPR.

And The Kids make their return to Great Scott this Friday, but this time they’re only staying for one night, and they might have a few surprises up their sleeves. We spoke to guitarist/vocalist Hannah Mohan about the show and what we should expect from the band and highly-touted support act PWR BTTM.

Allston Pudding: You played three shows at Great Scott just a few months ago and now you’re back – what’s changed since August?

Hannah Mohan: Well since August we’ve been playing more with our new bass player because our keyboard player got deported, and in January we’re going to be recording with our new bass player and our keyboard player in Montreal. So we’re really excited to try out some of the new songs live that we’ll be recording next month.

AP: It sounds like you guys must have the new tracks pretty well developed if you’re recording next month – what’s the vibe of the new material?

HM: Well first of all it’s a bit different because we added a bass player, so our keyboardist doesn’t have to play bass with her left hand anymore and there will be a real bass sound. I’m guessing it’s going to sound a little more wintery. I think we’re getting into some nice sonic dreamy qualities.

AP: You’ve played in Boston a lot, but you’re definitely part of the Western Mass scene – how has getting your start in that area shaped your approach to touring and trying to get your name out there?

HM: Well starting in Northampton was great simply because we’re technically in the middle of a bunch of different cities – 2 hours from Boston, 3 hours from Burlington, 4 hours from Portland, 4 hours from New York City. It’s a great place to get a start and not have to drop a ton of money to go out and play a show.

AP: Does playing in Boston feel at all different than playing in any of the other cities you mentioned?

HM: Well it’s bigger, so it takes a little longer. You need to play there more often for people to see you because people are always busy in big cities. It’s actually easier to make a name for yourself in smaller cities.

AP: PWR BTTM is opening the show on Friday – you’ve played with them a few times – what are your thoughts there?

HM: We are THE BIGGEST fans. We’re really tight with those guys. We just met them over the past year; we played this random show in Connecticut with them and didn’t know what to expect and they blew us away. We’re so excited to be playing a bunch of shows with them and we hope it never ends. Seeing their energy on stage just pumps us up.

AP: Ok, so you’ve got them on the bill, what are some other reasons to show up on Friday?

HM: Well I’ll say it again – if you haven’t seen PWR BTTM you’re way missing out and you need to see them. You can also come check out of new tunes and give us some input if you want – they aren’t set in stone so we’d love to get your take on them

Don’t miss your chance to hear new music from And The Kids at Great Scott on Friday. We would tell you to show up early to not miss the openers, but the doors aren’t till ten, so there’s no excuse to miss either Kid Mountain or PWR BTTM. Check out our recent interview with PWR BTTM here, and then get your tickets right here.

Kal Marks Announce New LP, Single

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By Tim Gagnon

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For all intents and purposes, ask it sounds like Kal Marks is sort of cheering up.

The three piece announced their latest LP, vialis 40mg Life Is Alright, treatment Everybody Dies, will be released on February 19th via Exploding In Sound. Although the title likely won’t be giving any newcomers the warm and fuzzies, it’s a marked change from their morosely titled 2nd LP, Life is Murder. From Murder, Kal Marks became locally synonymous with good music for feeling like absolute shit to, which was only enhanced with last year’s Just A Lonely Fart EP. The trio not only upped their prowess in angular riffs, but lyricist Carl Shane lyrically served up their most self-aware, reflective document yet across three songs.

First single “Dorothy” (premiering over at Stereogum) continues the trend of existential hurt, with Shane commenting that the song continues his belief that “life is really rough, but I’m trying not to be such a self centered prick anymore.”

Check out the album art and tracklist for Life Is Alright below. To preorder, head to the Kal Marks Bandcamp page here.

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  1. Life Is Alright
  2. Mankind
  3. Sweet Lou
  4. Dorothy
  5. Loneliness Only Lasts Forever
  6. Its So Hard to Know How to Say Goodbye
  7. Everybody Dies
  8. Heavy Hands
  9. Coffee
  10. Grass Is Green, But Sometimes Its Brown

Rock for a Cause: Speedy Ortiz Teams Up with Girls Rock Camp Foundation

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By Karen Muller

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Even if Speedy Ortiz didn’t have local roots, the band would still be a Pudding favorite. For starters, there’s the foursome’s smart spin on riff-crunching rock, their bar-setting commitment to creating safe, inclusive shows, and their regular use of media buzz to highlight important social causes. This week, they’re adding to that list by kicking off a tour to benefit the Girls Rock Camp Foundation, a national non-profit organization that distributes grants to programs across the country that empower girls through musical instruction and performance.

At first glance, Girls Rock camps are all about developing musical skills: girls who enter the program choose to learn drums, guitar, keyboard, bass, or vocals, then spend a week writing and honing songs in preparation for a performance. Below the surface, those band practices and related workshops encourage empowerment and teach media literacy. It all adds up to create a friendly, supportive space for girls to explore creative expression in a field that’s sometimes bogged down by stereotyping and sexism.

Speedy Ortiz’s music makes a perfect soundtrack for the cause. It’s sometimes classified as “slacker rock”, but genre slang aside, it’s anything but lazy; vocalist and guitarist Sadie Dupuis’ elaborate lyrics are all about stepping up to challenges, shaking toxic forces, and asserting independence. Add to that  the band’s confident, catchy sound and you’ll get a musical equivalent to the Girls Rock mission. It’s empowering, thoughtful, and makes a statement while having fun.

The band’s interest in partnering with GRCF was sparked in part by Dupuis’ own experiences as a teen at Buck’s Rock, a similarly art-focused summer camp, where she described finding support in a diverse community that stood in contrast to the “total dudeville” she said she encountered at talent shows and battle of the bands contests. “Often girls aren’t learning how to work in a recording studio and getting to play guitar and learning from rock musicians who are women. I feel like I learned a lot as part of [Buck’s Rock], whether it was playing guitar, writing songs, working in the studio, or putting together a band and booking shows and printing t-shirts,” Dupuis said in a recent phone interview. “What a lot of the Girls Rock Camps do is similar kinds of programming, with the idea that girls often are introduced to that world much later in their lives because guitar and rock instruments in general are still perceived as a boy’s hobby, which I think is pretty backwards. People have been making a strong effort to change that which is great, because it’s a wonderful creative outlet for any kind of person.”

Both Dupuis and Nora Allen-Wiles, Executive Director of Girls Rock Camp Boston, aim to continue encouraging that creative outlet through the funds raised by the foundation. “You idolize musicians and artists, a very grand idea of a person. Somebody on stage is a very powerful thing to see, and you’re a fan, and all that stuff. And then throughout the week you realize that that’s something that’s actually attainable, that you’re becoming that person who’s going to be on stage, who has the power to entertain and to be the strong person for people to see, ” said Allen-Wiles. “Girls are taught that they shouldn’t be loud and they shouldn’t be doing crazy instrumental drum fills and making as much noise as possible. I think just that freedom to really express yourself… and to just really be yourself with other people and be loud and crazy and be really encouraged while doing that is really empowering for girls.”

Beyond writing and performing music, the camps also provide an opportunity for participants to learn about feminism and take a critical look at their favorite music videos and songs with a new perspective. “When you’re a kid and you’re getting into music, that’s the main period in which a band can really change your life,” said Dupuis. “When I go back to some of the ones that were really formative to me as a 13-year-old, I was really into heavy guitar stuff, and when I revisit a lot of that now it’s highly misogynistic. At the time I didn’t really think about it because I didn’t think of myself as the person that was considered the ‘shitty girlfriend’ in the song. You identify with the songwriter there, the protagonist, and you view yourself as one as well. I think as I got older I realized these protagonists aren’t viewing me in their shoes, these songs really aren’t for me and they sort of emotionally exclude me. That doesn’t mean I can’t listen to a lot of stuff I really loved as a kid and still get excited by it, but I like the idea of introducing songs that feature a wider view of who the protagonist or subject can be.”