The BGN News Archive

New Nervous Eaters recording.

The Nervous Eaters have re-recorded their song “528” as a new version called “Rock n Roll Your Heart Away”. Their new keyboard player, Jim Sullivan, is on this version.

The song about the comradery and local music history at the Rat. We always feel inspired and proud to be part of the scene that this song portrays. In the song Steve Cataldo name checks: Felice (John), Jeff (Wilkinson), Rob (Skeen), Granny, Matthew (McKensie) and Kevin (Glasheen). The beauty of the song is that Steve bumps the specific Rat scene up to the general love of Rock that was the generator for everything. We love the way Steve sings the word “well” at the 50 second mark. You can hear the song now on YouTube

And this song is a teaser coz they will be releasing their new 10-track album "Rock n Roll Your Heart Away," on August 23 on Wicked Cool Records. You can preorder that here.

Charlie’s Kitchen in Harvard Square will have new operators though the owners will remain the same. Charlie’s Kitchen made Monday nights a thing with their punk shows on that day for years but that stopped a while ago after Covid.

The new owners are the ones who bought R. F. O’Sullivan’s in Cambridge and turned it into the Cornerstone. They say they'll keep Charlie’s the way it is. Outside of the punk shows Charlie’s Kitchen has been a mainstay of Harvard Square for 50 years. When Miss Lyn first moved to the city she lived in Harvard Square and Charlie's was a great hangout then in 1977. It has honestly remained pretty much the same except the signs inside have been redesigned. Let's hope the new operators keep their promise to NOT change it. The long story is in the Cambridge Day website

We feature Blowing Smoke with Twisted Rico almost every week in the BGN. Steev Riccardo does such a great job at supporting the local music scene here. He now has a GoFundMe page to raise money to update all his equipment. We know this sort of maintenance is necessary and there’s no paycheck coming in from an employer, that’s not how these things are.

If you appreciate what Steev does unfailingly week after week you can give at Support Blowing Smoke with Twisted Rico 

The Shang Hi Los are teasing us with a photo of the new single, “Morganatic Panic”, that's coming out on June 21. What is morganatic? Definition: relating to or denoting a marriage in which neither the spouse of lower rank, nor any children, have any claim to the possessions or title of the spouse of higher rank.

The photo? It's Jen D’Angora in full Upper Crust dress and playing her Supro guitar!!

What would the Sex Pistols sound like without Johnny Rotten? Would they even really be The Sex Pistols? Well, we'll find out at the fund raiser for Bush Hall in that venue on August 13/14. Who can possibly take the place of Johnny Rotten??? Frank Cater, of the group Gallows, is gonna try. The band wiil play the entire Never Mind the Bollocks album.

Lydon and the other Pistols had a big row when John fought against the Sex Pistols recordings used in the TV show, Pistol, based on Steve Jones’ book Lonely Boy. Lydon lost that battle. He claims he was financially ruined in that court case.

Read about it in Stereogum magazine The NME says a third date has been added!!

53rd and 3rd – Celebrating 50 years of the Ramones is coming up this weekend!! The show is at the Bowery Electric on Sunday the 16th. There are twenty acts listed and promise more!! In the middle of the list is Evan Shore of Muck and the Mires. Miriam Linna will be there also. And this show will feature the debut of Junior Varsity who have just released an disc on Rum Bar Records. We talk about that below in the New Music section. Want tickets???

Here is a list of 20 interesting facts about The Ramones debut album. And #20? when the album came out it was laughed at and only sold 6000 copies in its first year. But in 2014 it was certified gold for sales over 500,000 copies!!

Remember Mainvest? it was big in 2020. Mainvest was the fund raising business that the Great Scott owners used to help in their search for a new location. We reported that at the time.

Now Mainvest has problems. They're closing shop in June. They raised 38 million during their run. One of their problems is that a San Fran company Synapse, which was a financial intermediary for them, have declared bankruptcy. A lot of this is still shaking out. And where does that leave Great Scott’s? We don’t know. Here’s the story in the Boston Globe if you can get by the paywall

VIDEOS......

Wave Radio Boston posted the video of Ruffian Dick’s live set at the station. We love being able to see this group in action. Their album shows a group that plays full out. Even before they start playing you see the guitarist dressed in gold from head to foot and the bass player similarly in black, including a black balaclava. The singer, Aaron Sickniss, is taking sips from a nip.

They did a lot of songs from their album She’s Hypnotic released in January of this year: “Anxiety”, “Kids Today”, “Cemetery Nights”, “Let’s Do Some Business”, “Casper”, “Lose as a Goose” and “She’s Hypnotic”. They added a new unrecorded song “I Can See It” which is in the same manic vein.

Here's the Ruffian Dick Bandcamp page and their Facebook page.

Ruffian Dick will be at The Horror in Harmony event in Maine on July 19th and at The Union Tavern on July 26th (at 11PM - FB page) go check 'em out!!

Trust Records who are rereleasing the SSD Control records has put out a eight minute film on the group. It has some video of the group playing and some wild action photos.

This is titled Part 1 so we assume more is coming but this was so neat.

The Band 19 reunion show at the Magic Room is sold out! As a consolation prize you can look at this nine minute video interview from 1985 of the band in its heyday.

It was done by Emerson College alumni Cathy Carter and James Berkowitz. There is some live performance video done at TT The Bears.

Dropped Out, a band from Austin TX, posted a video on Punk Scene New England. They were fishing for a local gig in Boston around July 12/13.

The video for the song “Cute Little Sheep” shows them to be a very smooth pop punk. The difference is the ‘smooth’ part. They have the drilling guitar attack but the vocals are so well done that the song glides along. There’s even some “la-la-la’s” in there.

Both the song and the video are smartly done. Somebody book this band.

The Pixies have two new videos out. “You’re So Impatient” has a very much Pixies sound to it, no mistaking that.

The other is a Patti Page cover of “Que Sera, Sera”. They transform that song. They take a slow pace and add an air of mystery. It has a Leonard Cohen vibe to it.

These recordings feature the new bassist Emma Richardson. Brooklyn Vegan has their tour list (which is long). For the Boston area they play the Xfininity Center on June 16.

RADIO......

On this week’s Rising show on WMFO (Tuesday at 8pm) Skybar will have Linnea Herzog of Linnea’s Garden in to talk. Linnea will have info on her upcoming “Chaotic Bisexual Summer” tour and she’ll play a couple of songs live in the studio.

To hear Skybar’s whole show after Tuesday go to the WMFO schedule page Hit the Rising show on 8pm on Tuesday, then hit the ‘archive’ button.

Joanie Lindstrom (Late Risers Club – Thursday) played “”Broken Vessels” from The Hope Conspiracy’s new album Tools of Oppression / Rule by Deception. Like all The Hope Conspiracy songs it’s a massive onslaught of hardcore. The whole uncompromising album can be heard on Bandcamp

Let’s keep things heavy as Joanie did. She saw American Ethos open for the Subhumans this week. They were her faves of the night. They are all out hardcore. Next Stop, Nowhere is a very good album for a relative unknown entity. Check out the whole album on Bandcamp

Joanie played “Left On Red” but we got stopped in our tracks with “Way Out”. There the desperate existential rantings were so sharp and hit their mark so vividly we had to replay it a few times to take it in. It’s worth checking the words that are on the Bandcamp page.

We have “Way Out” lined up to play below and have it on our Top Ten Songs

To hear Joanie’s show go to the WMBR archive page and hit the Late Risers Show for Thursday 6/6.

PODCASTS.........

Sethyspice on the Elastic Glam Breakfast Show did a threefer from Suzi Quatro on the occasion of her birthday. She’s 74 this week. He started with “Can the Can” which was a game changer from back in the day. Then the very “Gloria” like “Lipstick” which is so much fun. Where else are you going to hear some of The Move (“Brontosaurus”) with plenty of glam classics: The Sweet, T Rex, Slade, New York Dolls and Bowie. Locals this week were the new Sapling song “Eris Worship” and Tell’s “Sweet Life”.

Somehow we knew we’d hear The Lemon Twigs on the show at some point. This week Sethyspice played “Rock On (Over and Over)”.

Twisted Rico has an interview with Scott Phrares of the Hollywood Stars this week. Even though the Hollywood Stars are from California we're all familiar with them because Rum Bar Records has signed them and are releasing their new and old albums. This shows the power of Rum Bar. They are giving some bands another sort of hometown to spread the word on their music.

The story of how a group that started in 1973 soon disbanded but somehow kept alive to be recorded in the 2000’s is unique and a story to hear.

Scott had great stories of being on the Sunset Strip with tons of famous bands playing in the late sixties. Scott played in a heavy metal band named Adrian that was Boston based in1972-73. He has some revealing stories of living in Boston during those days.

NEW MUSIC/CDs......

Marko Bruiser comes from Worcester. He’s released a lot of music, 23 releases since 2017. We like the song “All the Time” from the 2023 release Oh, Hey!!

The recording sounds homemade as do the other releases. That just adds to the effect here. “All the Time” is the singer trying desperately to see his girlfriend. Seems like she lives in Rhode Island a half hour drive away and he doesn’t have a car anyway.

At the beginning the lyrics come out in a rush with no rhythm and little rhyme and that all transmits that the singer is at the end of his rope. He wants to see her ALL THE TIME that’s all there is.

The DC record label For Love of Records did a salute to another label in the city. It's a 27 cut album of songs that have all appeared on Dischord Records. The bands that cover are all local bands too. This is a whole load of hardcore punk with a few twists.

Highlights for us are the Pietasters doing Minor Threat’s “Look Back and Laugh”, Rise Defy with “Missing Rung”, The Goons playing the Vile Cherubs’ “The Man With the Photograph”, Braceface whips through “My Rules” by Void, Dot Dash with the garagy “My Gloria” originally by The Snakes, and Breezy Supreme doing a medley of three “State of Alert songs and doing it in less than two minutes.

The Lookout from Montreal have a good hook in the chorus of their new song “I Know The Future”. The song rocks hard with solid vocals, sharp guitar and drums we wish were mixed higher because they sound there is a lot going on there. We did a lot of replays with this.

Junior Varsity is a Rum Bar Records group. The song “Back To Reno” has a seventies pop vibe that has been a Rum Bar hallmark. It’s hard not to like this tune. The sound of the guitars in the intro evokes so many Yellow Pills types of groups, the smooth vocals draw you in. Everything they add in clicks too. The main mover in the group is drummer Joe Vincent and so they mix the drums a little higher and that’s cool too.

The Jesus Lizard have a new album Rack to come out on September 13. The preleased.“Hide and Seek” pumps hard which is what you want. David Yow sing/talks through the lyrics.

It has a strange guitar sound for the short solos…if it is a guitar. It’s good indications for the quality of the new album. There’s an article with plenty of info in the NY Times

All the members of the MC5 are gone now but with the miracle of recording we have a new MC5 album titled Heavy Lifting coming out.

They have released one song "Boys Play With Matches". Wayne Kramer got this project rolling and there are lots of guest musicans as you might guess but the song does have a strong MC5 identity to it.

More info here on MSN

Here's some good shows coming up .....

June 12, 2024 (Wednesday) Blame It On Whitman, Distants (MI), Keep Ons at The Silhouette

June 14, 2024 (Friday) The Cherry Fog, The Double Takes, Wildfeuer, Force Us To Stop at The Union Tavern Union Sq Somerville

June 14, 2024 (Friday) Linnea's Garden, Ruby Grove, Cindy Lawson, Lovewhip at The Jungle

June 14, 2024 (Friday) Cold Expectations, Speedfossil (CD release show!), Bikini Whale at Faces, Malden

June 14, 2024 (Friday) Jason Bennett and The Resistance, Als Highway 50, Nick and the Adversaries at The MIddle east Up TIX

June 15, 2024 (Saturday) The Mighty Suicide Squirrels, Degenerates of Punk, Already Dead, Mitch Kramer, Wastebuds at The Midway for a 3PM matinee

June 15, 2024 (Saturday) Good June, Impossible Dog, Tatooine Punk Scene, Professor Caffeine & The Insec at The Jungle

June 15, 2024 (Saturday) Hammered Saint, Street Trash, K.O. Queen, Dental Dames at The Midway 8PM show

June 15, 2024 (Saturday) Dogmatics, Cindy Lawson, Girl With A Hawk at The Square Root - FB page

June 17, 2024 (Monday) Threat Level Burgundy, Futon Lasagna, Last Reel Hero at The Jungle

June 18, 2024 (Tuesday) The Amazing Andy California, Kayde Hazel, Honey Cassette at Notch Brewery - FREE

June 19, 2024 (Wednesday) Answerman, Bad Idea USA, Luxury Deathtrap at The Silhouette

June 20, 2024 (Thursday) Happy Little Clouds, Holy Smoke, Red Temple 9 at The Middle East Up

June 21, 2024 (Friday) Screwcart, The Spackles, The Fast Tracks at The Square Root

June 21, 2024 (Friday) The Church, Afghan Whigs, Ed Harcourt at The Royale - TIX

June 22, 2024 (Saturday) 2nd Annual Cape Chaos Fest with Dead Low, Neighborhood Shit, Working Poor USA, Cry Havoc!, Static Friction, Worm, Poor Impulse Control and more TBA. All Ages Bands, Food Trucks, Vendors, and more at Brewster VFW #9917 - FB page for info

June 26, 2024 (Wednesday) Troll Milk, KO Queen, Dental Dames, Exposed Ass at The Silhouette

June 28, 2024 (Friday) Galaxy Cake, Catwolf, Crow Follow, Emily Grogan at The Jungle

June 29, 2024 (Saturday) TREE, Scissor Fight, The Long Wait at the Brighton Music Hall for an all ages early show at 6PM. TIX

June 29, 2024 (Saturday) Lonely Leesa & The Lost Cowboys, Daylillies, The Lights Out, American Ocelot at The Midway 8PM show

June 29, 2024 (Saturday) FeelsGood, Blue Hyenas, blindspot, Warrens at The Jungle

June 29, 2024 (Saturday) Brad Marino Band, Tiger Bomb, The Nervous Eaters at The Press Room, Portsmouth NH

July 11, 2024 (Thursday) Ragz to Stitchez, Typhoid Mary, The Jacklights, and Vallory Falls for a of punk at AS220 - Provi, RI ! Doors at 8:30, show from 9pm-midnight, $10 cover!! FB page for tix etc.

July 13, 2024 (Saturday) Rum Bar Records & Los Coronas CC Present Diablogato's Party with Screamin' Rebel Angels, Diablogato. The Dogmatics, Girl With A Hawk at the Porch in Medford 1-6PM. FB page

July 13, 2024 (Saturday) The Fleshtones, Cal's Conspiracy, Tiger Bomb at The Magic Room, Norwood FB event page

July 13, 2024 (Saturday) Bim Skala Bim 40th Anniversary Show with Void Union, Duppy Conquerors, Some Ska Band, and Brunt of It -8:00 PM | Crystal Ballroom at Somerville Theatre. Two shows! Special guests, FB page.

July 13, 2024 (Saturday) Linnea's Garden, the Worst, Mattias, and CJ Honey at State Park in Kendall Sq. Linnea's Garden will be celebrating the release of their new single, "Cherry"!

July 14, 2024 (Sunday) Cape Crush, Loser's Circle, Blame it on Whitman, Dear Maryanne at The Midway for a 3PM Matinee

July 17, 2024 (Wednesday) Gossip Collar, Frogs, Burn Kit at The Silhouette

July 19, 2024 (Friday) Bash At the Beach With WORM, Rockin' Bob Punk Band, Spectacle, Scotty Saints & The True Believers, Screw Cart at The C Note, Hull FB page

July 24, 2024 (Wednesday) Sloppy Seconds, The Queers, The Raging Nathans - at The Middle east Down

July 24, 2024 (Wednesday) Bad Mary, Double Star, Thigh Scrapers, Stigmatics at The Middle East Up _ FB page

July 25-28, 2024 Nice Fest is back! It's got LOADS of bands - this year it's at the Rockwell, and Crystall Ballroom AND outside at the Grove st parking lot. Too many great bands to list here but check out their FB event page and website.

July 26, 2024 (Friday) Carrot Flowers, Toadpatrol, Bleach The Sky, Ruffian Dick at The Union Tavern - FB page

July 26 & 27, 2024 Rock Garden Showcase with Adam M Sherman, Jennifer Tefft & The Strange, Robin Lane, Little Billy Lost, Ricky Rat, Smitt E. Smitty, Hummingbird Syndicate, Crow Follow, Captain Easychord, Satch Kerans Band at Warehouse XI Union Sq Somerville

July 27, 2024 (Saturday) Honkeyball, White Dynomite, Welsh Boys, Hammered Saint, Catching Hell at the Middle East down - 7PM!

July 28, 2024 (Sunday) Matt Burns Memorial Show with Frank Rowe, Larry Newman, Spike, Captain Easychord w/Schlemiel, Kenne Highland's Air Force, Classic Ruins, The Reverand Joseph Fagan and his Deacons of Love, Vogon Poets, Shiny Beasts, Crow Follow at The Burren 7-10PM FB page.

July 28, 2024 (Sunday) Linnea's Garden, the Worst, Mattias, and CJ Honey at State Park in Kendall Square. Linnea's Garden will be celebrating the release of their new single, "Cherry"! FB page

August 3, 2024 (Saturday) Plymouth Punk Rock Market - 60+ vendors selling weird stuff for weird people - Live music, Craft beer and a food truck (or 2), Vinyl records, vintage clothing and housewares, original art, handmade, jewelry, oddities, and more! Noon to 5PM All ages, FREE EVENT at Mayflower Brewing Company. FB page

August 3, 2024 (Saturday) Cheap Cassettes, Chelsea Curve and Shang Hi Los at The Square Root - FB page

August 3, 2024 (Saturday) Mayhem In Manchester!! with WORM (their 21th Anniversary Show), Street Trash, WarGraves, Gagger at The Shaksheen Pub - FB page

August 9, 2024 (Friday) Barrence Whitfield & Sal Baglio’s Giant Rocket Roll Show! at The Bull Run in Shirley - FB page.

August 10, 2024 (Saturday) Bootleg Dan presents The Midnight Callers, Freeloader, Rattle Bones at The Burren 6PM show!!

August 11, 2024 (Sunday) Brunt of It, PWRUP, Sgt Scag, Threat Level Burgundy at The Midway for a 3PM matinee

August 15, 2024 (Thursday) Bootleg Dan presents John Powhida CD Release Party, Shang Hi Los, The I Want You, at The Burren 6:15pm show

August 17, 2024 (Saturday) Tiger Bomb and Muck & The Mires at Belfast Harbor Festival After Party - The Marshall Wharf, Belfast, ME

August 18, 2024 (Sunday) Surf at The Midway with The Electric Heaters, The Nebulas, The Beachcombovers, Kioea 3PM matinee

September 6, 2024 (Friday) Bootleg Dan presents: Sharp Class, Muck and the Mires, The Chelsea Curve at The Burren - FB page

September 6, 2024 (Friday) Bootleg Dan presents: Sharp Class, The Chelsea Curve at Parkside Lounge NYC

September 8, 2024 (Sunday) The Somerville Rock And Roll Yard Sale is in Union Square Somerville https://www.facebook.com/SomervilleRockAndRollYardSale

September 8, 2024 (Sunday) The Lowell Summer Music Series has Belly playing Boarding House Park: 40 French St., Tickets

September 14, 2024 (Saturday) Bootleg Dan presents: The Prime Movers Reunion!! at The Burren 7PM show

September 14, 2024 (Saturday) Tiger Bomb and The Nervous Eaters at Askew Provi RI

September 19, 2024 (Thursday) Legendary Queer-core Pop Rockers Pansy Division, The Fatal Flaw and Gene Dante at Faces in Malden

September 19, 2024 (Thursday) Bootleg Dan presents: Arthur Alexander Band, The Glimmer Stars, Tiger Bomb at Blue in Portland, ME

September 20, 2024 (Friday) Tiger Bomb and The Nervous Eaters at Sonia

September 20, 2024 (Friday) Bootleg Dan presents:Arthur Alexander Band, The Glimmer Stars, Crow Follow, at The Burren 6:15pm show

October 26, 2024 (Saturday) Tiger Bomb, The Cocktail Slippers, Stupidity, Muck & The Mires at The Bayside Bowl, Portland, ME FB page

CONTACT US AT....misslynbgn@yahoo.com Send us your gig listings, your anything else you've got!! You want your CD reviewed?? Contact us for that too.