By Joe Stahl and Mo Kelly
Photo by Mike Poland
Our pals at the Boston Hassle kick off off their sixth annual Hassle Fest tonight! In association with non-profit BRAIN Arts Organization, 40+ bands (including many of our local scene), will take over Cuisine en Locale for one groovy take on the weekend. If you find yourself weighing the options of the long T ride to Somerville, here’s a little preview to help you muster up the guts to leave your bedroom or couch, or whatever else suits your Friday and Saturday night. Tickets start at $17, c’mon down to Hassle Fest!
Day 1: FRIDAY
Who: Pile
Hometown: Boston
We’re incredibly excited about this band. If you haven’t heard of Pile, we advise you to take a listen to their e-p-i-c 2012 release, Dripping, and get ready for the sweaty socks to be knocked right from your feet. This outfit has quickly become a staple to our underground scene, and we’re delighted to have them here to stay. That is, if they will for long. Pile is so heavy, so perfectly angry and happily dissonant that we’re certain they’ll hit the big leagues soon. Catch Pile while you can.
Recommended if you like: Getting sent to the principals office, drummers with french braids, Isaac Brock’s yelling voice.
Set time: 7:20 p.m.
Who: Debo Band
Hometown: Boston
This 11-piece band with its masterminds being Ethiopian-American saxophonist Danny Mekonnen and vocalist Bruck Tesfaye have established a reputation for their “not too out there for its hypnotizing Arabic soundscapes infused with classic funk grooves and African drums. Warning: you will want to dance Studio 54 style, but we promise they’re not vapid disco.
Recommended if you like: Mulatu Astatke and Alemayehu Eshete, adventurous rhythms, genre mutations.
Set time: 8:30 p.m.
Who: Guerilla Toss
Hometown: Boston
Guerilla Toss are not for the faint of heart. This band will knock you out from first hit to eardrum, singing the songs of freaks, misfits and every irregular in between. With equal parts funk, punk and complete absurdity the band’s sound remains unique through dancey basslines, frantic drums and Kassie Carlson’s cutesy, ass-kicking voice. Guerilla Toss is manic, raving and delightfully inappropriate. We wouldn’t miss them for the world.
Recommended if you like: MIA on crack, the theatrical show “STOMP,” alienating yourself from family with your fantastically eccentric musical taste.
Set time: 10 p.m.
Who: No Joy
Hometown: Montreal
No Joy’s debut made a lot more noise than their newer material. They make fuzzy dreamy with soaring feminine vocals that fly over discordant arrangements that get real messy sometimes. Good light show when they opened for Best Coast a few years ago.
Recommended if you like: My Bloody Valentine, Wavves, Vivian Girls, and putting your head down.
Set time: 11 p.m.
After Party/Fest Extension ‘Must See’ Act
Who: IAN
Hometown: Boston
IAN’s here with a rockier side of bedroom pop, a combination of straight faced guitars and Jillian Medford’s often jangley, always youthful voice. These tunes are the kind of thing you’d wish you’d hear in at the malt shop, staring longingly into your ice cream cone while contemplating a recent crush or haphazard heartbreak. IAN gives us happy music for sad boys and girls, which is all us twentysomethings could really ever ask for.
Recommended if you like: 90’s teen movies, lipstick and fog machines, Cindy Wilson’s high notes.
Set time: TBD