January 2013 - musings from boston

Ok, so Yo La Tengo doesn’t have their own cooking show, but they probably could if they wanted to. For their just released new album Fade (on Matador Records), they’ve released two videos. The first one is “Before We Run”. The new video, just released, is for the beautiful acoustic song “I’ll Be Around.” What makes this video so unusual, besides the running on-screen lyrics and commentary that has either everything or nothing whatsoever to do with the lyrics being sung, are the two recipes (for Spicy Tortilla Soup and a Spanish Tortilla – yum!) that are provided over the course of the song, along with footage of the band preparing said recipes. This is either the strangest music video ever produced, the strangest cooking video ever produced, or both.

Another first—the first indie rock band to be interviewed by bon appétit magazine.

They’re touring all over the place, coming to the East Coast (Burlington, Boston, Washington D.C., NYC) but unfortunately all shows, except maybe the Higher Ground gig on 2/12, are already (quite understandably) sold out.

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Depeche Mode’s “Heaven” – first single from their upcoming album

By julie

On January 30, 2013

In Music News

Depeche Mode will soon be releasing album #13, their first since Sounds of the Universe in 2009. The new album will be called Delta Machine, due out March 26 on Columbia. For now, the lead single “Heaven” was premiered on KROQ. The video for this track will be released on February 1, ahead of the single’s release on February 5th. So far, there’s just a slew of European tour dates for May through July. Listening to the delicious slow burn of this new song, I can tell you I’m really looking forward to hearing the album.

web | facebook | twitter | :::::: LISTEN TO “HEAVEN” ON KROQ ::::::

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George Glass’s nifty new song “Sporto”

By julie

On January 29, 2013

In Indie Music

I have a theory. If I keep up with cool new music from my Eastside L.A. peeps as they’re putting things out through this fledgling new year, when the time comes to write my yearly ’roundup’ say in December of this year, I won’t have to wonder what everyone has been up to in the past year. I wonder how long this ambitious new project of mine will last?

<a href="http://georgeglass.bandcamp.com/track/sporto-2">Sporto by George Glass</a>

So here’s a brand new song from George Glass, off their upcoming album. It’s got a nice, dreamy laid back West Coast sound with pretty harmonies and seems somehow to be a song about a hungry monster with beady eyes being lonely living at the top (this is from a few listens on my crappy Netbook; let’s see how far off base I am). The new album called Welcome Home is imminent, as in “any day now.”

bandcamp | facebook | twit

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MojoSlim rocks out at Polcari’s in Saugus – Dec. 14, 2012

By julie

On January 14, 2013

In Boston Bands, Reviews

Who would have guessed there was a hot nightclub scene in Saugus? Hell, who would have guessed there was any sort of scene in Saugus. But when I skeptically ventured out and into Polcari’s on Route 1 to see R&B cover band extraordinaire MojoSlim, I stepped unwittingly into some kind of cosmic time warp back to a swinger lounge of the 1970s, with the vibe of a North Shore, Boston edition of Jersey Shore.

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Jeff Beam at T.T. the Bear’s Place Tues. night

By julie

On January 13, 2013

In Show Previews

If you’re in the mood for some lovely singer-songwriter acoustic ‘psych rock’ Tuesday night, head over to T.T. the Bear’s Place for Maine-based Jeff Beam. He’ll be on at 8:45pm, and will be performing with The Sea Life, Old Abram Brow and Wilder Maker.

For now, have a listen to You’ll Find That It’s Stranger Than Known (non-album tracks from 2012), which, just for the record, is an album title I feel a particularly affinity with at the moment.

<a href="http://jeffbeam.bandcamp.com/album/youll-find-that-its-stranger-than-known">You’ll Find That It’s Stranger Than Known by Jeff Beam</a>

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Introducing… The Rebel Light

By julie

On January 12, 2013

In Band Profiles, Indie Music

The Rebel Light released their debut self-titled EP back in November. Now based in L.A., the band is comprised of two brothers from Montauk, New York and their “long lost cousin” from Yucaipa, California. In true DIY spirit, the EP was recorded and mixed by the band themselves, with the vocals captured in the bathroom and the drums tracked in a wood shed. They’ve got an exuberant and celebratory sound with lots going on in this 3 song EP (plus radio edit). There’s the pop balladry of “Goodbye Serenade,” the fully orchestrated production of “Wake Up Your Mind,” and somewhere between those two with the Beatlesque “My Heroes Are Dead.”

Have a listen below, and if you like what you hear, give the band a little tip when you download it. You can grab it from bandcamp or noisetrade.

<a href="http://therebellight.bandcamp.com/album/the-rebel-light">The Rebel Light by The Rebel Light</a>

“Goodbye Serenade,” is especially strong, anthemic in its chorus and horn revelry. It achieves a special poignancy when experienced along with their video, which combines brief clips of band members interspersed with a cultural collage of our world’s history, our best and worst moments. I’m not certain of the intention, but it takes a song about a personal relationship to a completely different place with its refrain, “strange days going in circles…” Definitely a band to watch.

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Introducing… This Much (from Allston)

By julie

On January 11, 2013

In Indie Music

Here’s some lovely music from This Much, a relatively new band based in Allston who have recently released their first 2-song EP, “Steady Feet / The Noise” (listen below). Very pretty and contemplative, with some heartwarming acoustic guitar and thoughtful, intelligent lyrics. Note: this is important. A song can have a nice or interesting sound, but lame, last-minute words thrown on top can completely ruin everything. That’s just me, of course. Maybe it’s you too; I don’t know. But when I hear a line “and I can’t wait to see you on steady feet,” that’s something that deserves further attention. I’ll be watching these guys. Their second EP, “Interest / Spiral” will be coming soon.

This Much is: Terrence Mulhern – vocals, guitar, keyboards, recording/mixing; Denny Kennedy – drums, manager; John Stricker – bass. I just love that – “drums, manager.” How’s that for an authentic indie band?

Steady Feet/The Noise by This Much

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Dessa comes to The Sinclair Sunday Night

By julie

On January 10, 2013

In Indie Music, Show Previews

photo by Kai Benson

Singer, rapper and lyricist Dessa (of Doomtree) will be performing with her full band at The Sinclair on Sunday, January 13. You can buy tickets here. Also on the bill will be Adeem, H.W. & DJ Emoh and Betta.
::: facebook event :::

Her latest album is Castor, The Twin, and she’ll also be performing new songs from her forthcoming album, due out in the Spring. Castor, The Twin featured reworkings of songs from her debut album, A Badly Broken Code, with an ensemble that will also be featured in her live performance. This will include voila, stand-up bass, grand piano, mandolin, vibraphone and timpani.

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Introducing… Xavier Rudd (from Australia)

By julie

On January 9, 2013

In Indie Music

Life is pressing down, but here’s something nice and upbeat for you tonight. From Australia, it’s Xavier Rudd. His latest album is Spirit Bird (on SideOneDummy). More about him when I have a little more time. Peace out.

web | facebook | wikipedia

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Happy birthday David Bowie, and a harrowing new song

By julie

On January 8, 2013

In Music News

“Where We Are Now” by David Bowie (the original vimeo wouldn’t let me embed, so thank you SparkyHughes33 on YT)

Happy Birthday, David Bowie. For his 66th birthday, he’s decided to give all of us a surprise present—a brand new song after nearly a decade of musical silence. “Where Are We Now” is a harrowing ‘state of the planet’ assessment, viewed from a place where he probably felt most, if you’ll forgive the New Ageism, “grounded”—his time spent in Berlin in the late 1970s. The song is produced by long-time collaborator Tony Visconti and the video, directed by Tony Oursler, is disturbingly stunning. It features footage from that time, of his old Berlin neighborhood, mixed in with scenes from a cluttered loft, David and an unknown companion in the guise of sad and neglected children’s dolls, and enough cryptic imagery to keep a team of psychoanalysts happily engaged for decades. It’s a beautifully orchestrated, lyrically wistful, piano and strings-driven stroll through a winter forest of melancholia. Welcome back, David.

If this song out of nowhere isn’t enough to leave one breathless, there’s also a new studio album called “The Next Day” (his first since 2003), to be released on March 8 (Australia) and March 12 (U.S.) on Columbia Records. The album will feature 14 songs, and a deluxe edition will include three bonus tracks. No word yet on if there will be any tour. His last stage performance was at a New York charity concert in 2006. In other Bowie news, Victoria and Albert Museum in London will have a major exhibition dedicated to him, which opens on March 23.

This is going to be quite a year.

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screams, whispers and songs from planet earth

Month: January 2013 Page 1 of 2

Yo La Tengo releases video for new album, premieres Food Network cooking show

Depeche Mode’s “Heaven” – first single from their upcoming album

George Glass’s nifty new song “Sporto”

MojoSlim rocks out at Polcari’s in Saugus – Dec. 14, 2012

Jeff Beam at T.T. the Bear’s Place Tues. night

Introducing… The Rebel Light

Introducing… This Much (from Allston)

Dessa comes to The Sinclair Sunday Night

Introducing… Xavier Rudd (from Australia)

Happy birthday David Bowie, and a harrowing new song