Art Thieves release new single “Proxies” via Bandcamp

Local three-piece Art Thieves have released “Proxies”, the first single from their upcoming album Russian Rats on Boston-based label State Line Records. The track is a one-minute aural espresso shot that stimulates your senses with political punk rock, and the only letdown is waiting for the rest of the album.

Russian Rats drops September 14, but in the meantime you can find out more and download the track for yourself over at the Art Thieves Bandcamp page. You can name your price, so keep in mind that great music in Boston only keeps happening with your support!

You can also find more releases from State Line Records right here.

Dead Trains to bring “blues-core” to Great Scott for EP release show

According to their Bandcamp page, Boston’s Dead Trains can be categorized under the genres of bluescore, trainstep, and hillbilly hardcore. If these sound a bit esoteric or unfamiliar to you, you wouldn’t be alone. But when you hear the music it all begins to make a bit more sense: these guys just blast out some aggressive punk rock that also happens to be pretty damn blues-y.

For example, take their latest single “Big Fun”. It kicks in at a frantic pace that never lets up, with a disjointed rhythm adding to the sense of urgency and never letting the listener get comfortable. The drums are brash and the vocals gritty, falling somewhere between a bluesman’s howl and a punk rocker’s snarl. Driving through the whole track is a bassline that’s nothing less than menacing, establishing the decidedly turbulent feel of the song. Check it out:

“Big Fun” is the title track of Dead Trains’ upcoming EP, their second release in as many years. They’ll be celebrating the release tomorrow night (11/27) at Great Scott in Allston with the help of psychedelic garage punks The Rough Cuts (Fitchburg, MA) and gloomy groove-metal purveyors Witch Cake (Boston). If you’re in the market for a little Monday night madness, this show was made for you. For details and tickets, click right here!

Show Review: Stray Bullets, Radiator Rattlers, and more at O’Brien’s on 11/22

Punk rock is a slippery genre. Musically, there’s precious little in the way of limitations and boundaries to what can be called punk. While this can be a source of frustration for those who like categorization and neat little boxes, it’s also produced a cornucopia of beautifully hyphenated subgenres. Wednesday night’s show at O’Brien’s in Allston put some of those unholy marriages on display, with a five band bill that saw no two groups fill the same niche in the punk ecosystem.

First up was Coffin Salesman, a duo featuring acoustic guitar and accordion. Their edgy take on the folk-punk songwriter genre helped warm up show-goers just in from the cold on Harvard Ave. Vocalist Aria Rad was sharp-dressed in a suit and sharp-tongued as well, with biting lyrics taking direct aim at bigots and conservatives.

Continuing in the folk-punk vibe were Attleboro’s Cactus Attack, with a bluegrass-based assault that pulled in elements of classic rock and punk. These guys may have won the prize for best beards on a night when it was in serious contention, but even more than that they won over the audience with their rollicking sound and pure energy. No band looked like they were having more fun than these guys.

Up next, and making a hell of a beautiful racket for a three-piece, were Art Thieves. Guitar, bass, and drums were all these guys needed to crank out some badass garage-punk tunes. Their intensity and attitude made you want to sing along whether you knew the words or not, just to be part of it.

Haverhill’s The Radiator Rattlers are definitively the only punk band I have ever seen to utilize a washboard, and they used it to great effect. Their jaunty syncopation and gruff harmonies had my head bobbing and my toe tapping with the beat, and I wasn’t alone. Their cowpunk stylings had the crowd moving and dancing even late into this Wednesday night.

Boston scene veterans Stray Bullets closed things out on a high note with furious ska-punk fervor. Notably, Wednesday night was their first show at O’Brien’s in 13 years. According to vocalist Jon Cauztik, that previous show ended up with a fistfight and a fired drummer. I’m happy to say they fared much better on their long-awaited return, and played some truly inspired punk rock. Personal favorites were the working class political anthem “Peace Signs” and the extremely catchy “Long Ride Home”.

On this night in Allston, ska, folk, bluegrass, garage, and punk all blended together to create a show that displayed the variety and talent that makes the Boston punk scene so vibrant.

Song of the Week: Government Center

In the interest of openness and honesty, I have to note that Jaya the Cat is technically a band that exists in Amsterdam, and hasn’t played Boston much in recent memory. That being said, they are a “Boston band” through and through. They got their start here and their tracks are littered with loving references to Boston landmarks like Columbus Avenue, Central Square, and the Combat Zone. Given this connection and the fact that they’re dropping a new album this Friday, it seems fitting to honor one of their most notably “Boston” tracks.

“Government Center” is a gritty, grimy reggae-punk number that catalogs a late evening in the life of a Beantown ne’er-do-well. Jaya the Cat has a talent for celebrating the seedy, yet utterly charming underbelly of any town they’re in, and “Government Center” gives Boston the full treatment. Set in the bitter darkness of a winter’s night, it’s the type of song that blends realism and romanticism, making you wish you were there while grateful that you’re not.

Enjoy, and don’t forget to keep an eye out for their new record, A Good Day for the Damned on Nov. 17!

Song of the Week: Le Grand Fromage

It’s fair to say that anybody who’s ever driven the Jersey turnpike can relate to the idea that “anything’s better than New Jersey”. But it takes a band with hard touring experience to generate the heart-wrenching turn of phrase, “I’d give anything to go home / I gave up everything to leave”. Lucky for us, local pop-punkers Rebuilder refuse to let tough times keep them off the road.

This week’s Song of the Week is “Le Grand Fromage”, one of the singles from Rebuilder’s first full-length release Rock & Roll in America. It’s perfectly representative of the band’s signature sound, featuring heartfelt lyrics, big hooks, and of course that melodic organ wail draped over everything. I’ve chosen “Le Grand Fromage as Song of the Week in preparation for Rebuilder’s upcoming show this Friday at the Great Scott in Allston, where they’ll be joined by fellow Boston rockers Kicked in the Head. More on that show to come, but for now enjoy “Le Grand Fromage”.

Want to hear more Rebuilder? Check out their Bandcamp page for more tunes and merch.

Sheer Mag breathe new life into arena rock

Contributed by Andrew Stephan

Arena rock gets a bad name these days, and perhaps rightfully so. It’s been a long time since it was musically interesting or culturally relevant. But Sheer Mag is changing that with their refreshing and more inclusive take on the genre. The Philly band are playing the Sinclair fresh off the July release of their first album Need to Feel Your Love, which showcases their unique brand of punk-influenced and soulful stadium rock. The album is strong throughout, but particularly enjoyable are riff-heavy “Rank and File”, the groovy “Pure Desire”, and an AC/DC-esque take on inauguration protests in “Meet Me In the Street”. This protest theme continues in “Expect the Bayonet” and “(Say Goodbye to) Sophie Scholl”, demonstrating the band’s commitment to social activism. They complement this with an equally strong commitment to jammable and danceable riffs and grooves, and the result is an exhilarating album with a strong social conscience. Note to whoever selects the music at the Garden: more Sheer Mag and less Gn’R.

Opening for Sheer Mag on 8/31 is Haram, a hard-charging punk band from NYC with Arabic vocals that should make for a rowdy live show. Also opening is the mellower Lost Balloons with a well-executed and wide-ranging offering of alternative rock. This is an all-ages show and promises something for every punk and rock fan to enjoy.

The details: The Sinclair, Cambridge, 7 PM doors, All Ages, $13 advance/$15 at the door TICKETS HERE

Listen to the bands:

Sheer Mag (Bandcamp)

Haram (Bandcamp)

Lost Balloons (Bandcamp)

 

 

*indicates an act local to Boston or New England

Flatfoot 56 to headline Celtic punk celebration at Middle East

The first time I saw Chicago’s Flatfoot 56 was at The Space in Hamden, CT in 2009. There couldn’t have been more than twenty people in the room, but Flatfoot belted their songs out like there were a thousand. We in the audience showed our appreciation with sweat, creating a minuscule circle pit in the humble basement venue. The band obliged by ripping out mile-a-minute Celtic punk rock to keep the wheel frantically turning, hardly stopping to rest. I’ll admit I didn’t know much about Flatfoot 56 at the start of that night, but by the end I was totally enamored by their sheer power and commitment to the music.

Flash forward to 2017, and Flatfoot 56 is a premier name in punk rock that has amassed followers by the thousands. As standard-bearers of the Celtic punk genre, their powerful sound and tireless work ethic have brought them around the world and back. But on August 26th they’ll direct their attention to Cambridge, gracing the stage at the Middle East Upstairs with their trad-punk tornado. While I can safely assume the turnout will be much stronger than that summer night in Connecticut, I can fully guarantee that Flatfoot 56 will be giving their all whether there’s five or five thousand.

Coming up in just a couple days, this show also happens to feature a personal favorite of mine in Boston locals Mickey Rickshaw. Their furious Irish punk assault is a perfect set-up for Flatfoot and fans who come expecting a rowdy time will not be disappointed here. Meanwhile the first opener is Foxboro’s The Gobshites, who lean more towards the folk side with traditional instruments and drink-along choruses.

This show is fixing up to be an exhilarating showcase of Celtic punk. So grab your dancin’ shoes and/or a pint and join the fun!

The details: 7:00 PM doors, 18+, $10 adv./$12 door, TICKETS HERE

Listen to the bands:

Flatfoot 56 (Bandcamp)

*Mickey Rickshaw (Bandcamp)

*The Gobshites (Bandcamp)

 

 

*indicates an act local to Boston or New England

Song of the Week: Rightswing

This week’s song of the week is “Rightswing”, an anti-fascist anthem by The Forum Walters. The Walters are from Austria, and this track features a verse from Jon Cauztik of local groups Stray Bullets and Have Nots.

This song felt appropriate in rejecting and condemning the racism, hatred, and terrorism on display from white nationalists, neo-Nazis, KKK, and “alt-righters” in Charlottesville, VA this weekend. The video and lyrics of “Rightswing” call for us to “take a swing” against racism, bigotry, and fascism and that feels incredibly timely right now.

Learn more:

To learn more about the events of this past weekend, check out this article from the New York Times, which compiles the major moments while providing links for in-depth coverage about individual stories.

How to help:

It’s easy to feel confused on how to help in situations like this, but fortunately Sara Benincasa at Medium has compiled a pretty comprehensive list of ways to help out and take action. You can find that right here.

If you are reading this and happen to be in the Boston area, consider attending Stand for Solidarity on Aug. 19 at the State House. White nationalists are planning to assemble on Boston Common, and progressive groups are uniting to oppose this action. Find the details right here.

I urge everyone to contribute in any way they can, and to oppose these hateful attitudes wherever they see them. While racism and white supremacist beliefs are nothing new in our country, Charlottesville is a tragic reminder of why we need to fight back against them at all times.

“It will be freedom that I ll be defending,
I know on which side I ll be standing,
let the pen of humanity write an appropriate ending,
I know on which side I ll be standing!”

Choke Up premiere new single “Blue Moon”

Earlier today, Choke Up premiered their new single “Blue Moon” via New Noise Magazine. The track will appear on the band’s upcoming album Stormy Blue, and features the signature blend of emo and post-hardcore that fans have enjoyed on their previous releases. Stormy Blue comes out on Sept. 15, and is available for pre-order over at Say-10 Records. For those interested in vinyl, the LP comes in “baby blue” (limited to 100) and “dark stormy blue” (limited to 400).

You can hear Choke Up live on Sept. 2 as they close out their summer tour with Rebuilder (who also have a new single) at Great Scott in Allston.

To hear “Blue Moon” head over to New Noise Magazine.

Song of the Week: Noise Complaint

Happy Monday all! In the interest of highlighting great punk music from Boston, regardless of when it came out, I’m starting a Song of the Week series. Every Monday I’ll be posting a video of a song that seems fitting, whether it’s based on the news, my mood, or just free association.

This week the track I’ve chosen is “Noise Complaint” by ska-punk vets Big D and The Kids Table. It’s a wonderfully bouncy party track that’s built for drinking, dancing, and carousing. One of the reasons I love this song/video is how it gives a sense of inclusiveness and togetherness that any great party should have. It’s the same feeling you get at a Big D show.

If you’re wondering, I was inspired to choose “Noise Complaint” because I’m visiting my girlfriend in L.A. and just picked up a copy of the Strictly Rude 20th anniversary double LP at Amoeba Records. Enjoy!