So this coming Tuesday, Secretly Canadian is reissuing the two long-lost albums by Bobb Trimble, Iron Curtain Innocence (1980) and Harvest of Dreams (1982). Both records are totally essential, I’ve learned in the past month or so. Haunting, creepy, and totally bizarre, maybe like an R. Stevie Moore or Ariel Pink interpretation of The Wall or something like that. Reagan-era Worcester and its desperate loneliness and desolation ooze out of every second of these records, but with a weird uplifting hope. I’ve been hooked on them from the moment I got them in about a month ago, and I can’t recommend the flanged-out weirdness of it all more.
This Thursday, November 8th, River Gods will be hosting a CD release/listening party with the man of the hour in attendance, and I suggest anyone interested get there early to enjoy the festivities. Details:
NOT a gig per se, but Bobb will indeed be on hand to help celebrate…
Secretly Canadian presents:
Bobb Trimble listening party
for the deluxe enhanced reissues of
Iron Curtain Innocence (1980)
Harvest of Dreams (1982)Both albums will be played
Also: DJ ned egg (Nick Branigan) & special guestsvenue is 4 blocks from Central Sq. (MBTA Red line)
recommended inexpensive parking ($1/hr.):
5 blocks away, at Green St. Garage
(260 Green St., between Pearl St. & Magazine St.)
I’ll be there having dinner and some brews and some haunting songsmithing before heading over to the Middle East to see A Place To Bury Strangers later in the evening. It’ll be a great night.
Its not often that I get so flustered and excited by what I’m seeing at a show that I’m simultaneously spellbound and barely containing my desire to run around to every person I know and confirm with them that this is the best. Seeing the Gris Gris play at PA’s Lounge in April of 2005 left me like this. And finally, seeing Sic Alps play at O’Briens in Allston last night did it again. Something about the Bay Area and its bands investment in exploring and embracing the ragged edge of fidelity so bravely? Who knows, but for me, seeing the duo of Mike Donovan and Matt Hartman practically rewrite the rulebook that Spacemen 3 wrote and dive into the simplest, most intuitive ideas just sold it. One-chord/one-riff songs, loose drums, great cranky echoed vocals mixed with the Hartman’s instumental multitasking, most effectively when he simply used a guitar as a snare drum while accompanying. Sweet drones and chants flowed into some rough and tumble bluesy numbers, into revelatory Sister Ray level freakouts, and back to delicate duets.. unbelievable. I later realized that Hartman is some kind of serious vet. Originally of legendary noise pop band, Henry’s Dress, he’s something of a journeyman, drumming with Cat Power, Coachwhips, Total Shutdown, who knows who else. Either way, tremendous band, really one of the most crucial shows I’ve seen in years, and I highly reccomend whatever you can get your hands on, but their LP called Pleasure and Treasure on Animal Disguise is a fierce minimalist garage/drone record of the highest order. It took me a few listens to wrap my head around it, and took seeing them live to truly understand how great they are, but all told it couldn’t be more rewarding. Good biz…
Both the shows on my “must see” schedule next week feature Cococoma headlining, but that’s kind of a secondary point. While I’ve been loving the hell out of their various 7″s and am happily anticipating their debut LP on Goner, the real crucial business is that in the course of two days four of the most exciting current local bands will be joining them. For the Providencers, or the Bostonians willing to commute, next wednesday (10/3) at AS220 will see two of Providence’s most brutal starting the party. Tinsel Teeth have the old school dirge rock jams down as well as a penchant for playing in the nude (not sure about AS220 policy on that kind of thing), and I keep missing the shows, like an idiot. After them, the best band in Providence, Black Clouds will ruin the show for anyone following them. Seriously, the nastiness of their primal two-guitar/drums bullshit is pretty unparalleled and makes it difficult to discuss in any kind of measured way. So yeah, Providence pretty much has it made that night. Worth the trip down for all you northern types.
The reason I’m actually making the trip up to Somerville the next day, though, is that any bill featuring Turpentine Brothers my unhinged buddies in Life Partners can’t really be passed up (especially when Cococoma gets mixed into that cocktail). The Turps really need to get some more wax out, whether a full length or more singles, because their last few singles (including a split with Cococoma) have been downright feral, and their live show has only suggested that as awesome as their first LP was, it’ll be buried by the dirt their next record will throw all over the place. I’ve maintained Life Partners as the inexplicably greatest band in Boston for some 6-7 months now. Offensive disaster rock that maintains a musicality almost never found at those depths, where no idea is a bad idea.
So yeah, Cococoma, thanks for inadvertently causing the best 1-2 punch of locals shows in recent memory. And hey, these Hipshakes you’re touring with sound great too. I’m gonna be broke soon…
Late notice, but there’s a great show for a great cause tonight at PA’s Lounge:
A Breast Cancer Benefit for Mona Elliot with…
Helms
Black Helicopter
Seana Carmody
Vox Humana
$10, 9pm.
More soon…
Shrinking Islands are playing a show at Great Scott this coming Wednesday.
Who are Shrinking Islands? Right here:
They Don’t Watch Me - from the album “In the Black Carpet” (buy it here)
Why mention it? Besides being great friends of mine, they’re busy recording their debut release for Inman Street Records, due in a few weeks (hopefully).
Here’s the rest of the bill for Wednesday’s show:
Hands & Knees
My Teenage Stride
A Sunny Day In Glasgow
TONS of shows coming up this week in Boston. Here’s some of the better ones:
Thursday June 7th - Jack Wright, Agnes Palier, Olivier Toutlemonde
Pierre Menard Gallery, 10 Arrow St in Harvard Square, Cambridge. 8 pm.
Friday June 8th - Jandek (with Eli Keszler, Jorrit Dijkstra, and Greg Kelley)
Boston ICA, 7 pm. presented by The Critique of Pure Reason
Friday June 8th - Sunburned, Birds Of Delay, Emeralds, Astronaut, Puritan Agenda
Nom D’Artiste, 25 Edinboro St. #5 in Chinatown. 9 pm.
Friday June 8th - Major Stars, UV Protection, Helms
The Milky Way, 403-405 Centre St. in Jamaica Plain. 10pm.
Saturday June 9th - The Divorced
The Distillery, 516 E 2nd St. in Boston. 8pm.
Sunday June 10th - Lexie Mountain Boys and others
Infrasound loft. Call Weirdo Records (617-666-VILE) for details.
Monday June 11th - Melt-Banana, Doomriders, Neptune
Middle East Downstairs, 472/480 Mass Ave in Cambridge. 9pm.
Friday June 15th - Warmer Milks
Twisted Village, 12 B Eliot Street, Harvard Square, Cambridge. 617-354-6898.
Just saw that White Mice are opening for Skinny Puppy. I never was a SP fan, but good for White Mice - it’s exposure to an audience that may well be receptive to their performance. I’ve seen White Mice a couple times before, and if you’re into metal/noise they’re a solid band. Their live shows can be quite entertaining, and somewhat unnerving. How else do you describe a trio of satanic-looking mice totally rocking out?
The Boston show is June 7th at the Avalon.
Inman Street Records Presents:
Most Bitter
Antiques
Sprouls
Monday May 7th at 9pm
at Charlie’s Kitchen - 10 Eliot St, Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA
A solid 3-band bill at Charlie’s, what better way to cap off a Monday? Most Bitter will be selling CD’s of the album linked above, if downloading mp3’s isn’t your thing. I’ve never seen Antiques or Sprouls live before, and I’m definitely looking forward to it. See you there!