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.

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

Coming Soon: Propagandhi at Middle East Downstairs

Earlier today, The Middle East announced that legendary Canadian political punks Propagandhi will be playing the Downstairs on Oct. 21 with support from Iron Chic (NY) and Heartsounds (CA).

Propagandhi have been busy of late, having recently announced a Sept. 29 release date for their latest album, Victory Lap. Checkout the title track below:

Tickets for this show go on sale this Friday, July 28 at 10 am. Follow this link for the ticket page, and don’t sleep on these because with this lineup they’ll go quick!

Weekend Preview (July 14-16)

Whether it’s a festival or a matinee, Boston Punk Rumblings is here to make sure you never miss a can’t-miss show. Every week we’ll be posting a curated list of the best punk and punk-related live music. The Weekend Preview is always open to submissions, so give us a shout at beantownrockers@gmail.com.

Friday, July 14

*Timeshares, Save Ends, Great Lakes USA, Max Stern @ Great Scott (Allston)

NY’s Timeshares bring their heartfelt melodic punk to Allston Rock City, with support from locals Save Ends and Great Lakes USA. Max Stern of Signals Midwest opens things up with a solo set.

18+, 10 pm doors, $8 – Tickets Here

 

Sunday, July 16

*The Flatliners, Pkew Pkew Pkew, Garret Dale, Dan Webb & The Spiders @ The Middle East Upstairs (Cambridge)

On a truly stacked bill featuring Toronto heavyweights The Flatliners and Pkew Pkew Pkew, local rockers Dan Webb & The Spiders lead things off with catchy, raucous garage punk.

18+, 7 pm doors, $12 adv/$15 door – Tickets Here

 

Punk and reggae to join forces this Thursday at ONCE

Bob Marley says in “Punky Reggae Party”, his hit unity anthem for punk and reggae, that “It takes a joyful sound / to make the world go round”. If that’s the case, then the world may be rotating just a bit quicker on Thursday night when ONCE Ballroom in Somerville hosts Destroy Babylon’s record release party. The new album is called Shapeshifters, and it’s a mind-bending blend of reggae, dub, and rock that’s available on Bandcamp now. Their progressive style of reggae will be complemented on Thursday by edgy and political ska-punk from Stray Bullets as well as soulful ska from the one and only Riki Rocksteady, in a combination that really only can be described as a punk-y reggae party. For fans of both genres, it’s hard to find a more exciting bill than this, not to mention one that highlights three local talents.

The details: 7:30 PM doors, 18+ (all ages w/ an adult), $8 adv./$10 door, TICKETS HERE

Listen to the bands:

Destroy Babylon (Bandcamp)

Stray Bullets (Bandcamp)

Riki Rocksteady (Youtube)

 

Boston Weekend Preview (July 7-9)

Whether it’s a festival or a matinee, Boston Punk Rumblings is here to make sure you never miss a can’t-miss show. Every week we’ll be posting a curated list of the best punk and punk-related live music. The Weekend Preview is always open to submissions, so give us a shout at beantownrockers@gmail.com.

Saturday, July 8

*The Lousy Instruments, Freeze Up, Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner, and Plastic Angels @ Midway Cafe (Jamaica Plain)

Sardonic and gritty garage rockers The Lousy Instruments headline this afternoon joint. Four Boston-area bands for five bucks is just about the best value you can find these days.

All Ages, 4:00 pm doors, $5

Sunday, July 9

*Petty Morals @ Boston Pizza Festival (City Hall Plaza)

Pizza, beer, and Salem, MA synth-punks Petty Morals make for an enticing combination for this surprisingly affordable event.

All Ages, Music starts at 7:00 pm, $15 (plus whatever you spend on pizza) – Tickets Here

*Cayetana, Worriers, and Camp Cope @ Great Scott (Allston)

Fresh off their second studio release New Kind of Normal, Philadelphia’s Cayetana tackle issues related to mental health and feminism through their melodic and heartfelt punk rock.

18+, 9:30 pm doors, $12 – Tickets Here