 |
links | contact us |
|
The BGN News Archive
It's 2024 ... this Fall it will be 50 years since The Rat opened. Whoa!! 50 years!!!! It's getting to be time to celebrate!! How many of you reading this ever thought you'd be here doing what you are doing...now, 50 years later? We were too young to even think in those terms but nevertheless The Rat changed our lives!! Thanks to Jim Harold. Sadly, very sadly Jim will not be with us to celebrate but we will do so in his honor of course!! So far there are two celebrations - Saturday September 21 at the Bellforge Art Center (Medfield, MA). The Nervous Eaters are at the top of the bill. They have the perfect song for the day with their latest release "Rock and Roll Your Heart Away, " about the Rat days. The Dogmatics are also on the bill and WMBR and BCN DJ Oedipus will MC the night! More bands will added to the bill. Tickets can be had now! The organizers talk about the show and what inspired it on the WBUR website 
Next up, in November will be a Rat Anniversary event celebrating The Harvard Archives Arthur Freedman Collection of video and audio recordings. More onthat later. Now to some very sad news ... Johnboy Franklin passed away this past week. Johnboy was a fixture on the scene basically from the days the Rat began! He loved music, especially the local scene and he loved poeple. He was friends with everyone and had a vast collection of photos of himself with a gazillion performers and friends. While he was in the hospital loads of muscian friends visited him. Johnboy was at all the shows, he was at The Cut in January for Willie's birthday ... he was in a wheelchair but he made it!! Johnboy will be very much missed by many. RIP Johnboy!! This week we have coverage of The Chelsea Curve's Ron Voyage show at The Midway by Captain Easychord. An amazing bill with The Chelsea Curve, Stars Like Ours, Duck & Cover and State of the Union - WOW!! All to celebrate Ron Belanger who is moving to South Carolina. As you would expect everyone delivered a killer set!! Check out The Captain's page here. And in other news....... The July Fleshtones gig at the Magic Room has been cancelled. Cal Cali, who booked the show, mentioned Bill (Milhizer) the drummer being sick.
Mike’s was the place to get the really cool vintage gear. Like a mid 60’s Silvertone amp or guitar. Mike and Steph are also Hambone Skinny who have albums on Rum Bar Records and we assume that’s still going on.
R.E.M. played for the first time in 15 years on stage for the Songwriters Hall of Fame induction ceremony in New York. They played “Losing My Religion”. There was a video posted but it became “unavailable” because the “video contains content from UMPG Publishing, who has blocked it in your country on copyright grounds”. Ha, those damn songwriters! The story in Pitchfork Don starts by writing about the Boston scene and how the symbiosis between groups, radio, record labels, publications and clubs built up excitement and momentum. Boston had it all cooking. He also makes the point that Sullivan was not shy to bring up touchy subjects for the day, like gay activism with Tom Robinson, and raise them to awareness. Don's article can be found on his website
Jack White's Third Man Records, is publishing Echoes, a memoir by Echo and the Bunnymen’s guitarist and co-founder Will Sergeant. It seems like a wild story with “tales of fights, acid adventures, biker gangs and back alley drunken gunmen. Post-gig trips to the secretive after-hours clubs of New York. Plus hanging out with rock legends Robert Plant, Ray Manzarek and Ginger Baker.” Sergeant's book Bunnyman came out two years ago. You can get both books on the Third Man website VIDEOS......
The insane, mind bending Butthole Surfers have a documentary in the works. The name: Butthole Surfers: The Hole Truth and Nothing Butt. Check out the trailer above. Also note they are looking for "the best Butthole Surfers videos and photographs out there. Got some rad old concert tapes? Took sick pics at a legendary show?" They would love to see it all. And include it in the doc!! Check website for the movie Article in Brooklyn Vegan You don’t hear the Butthole Surfers that much anymore on the radio and that’s a shame. That music is awesome. Performance wise they were way, way out there.
L.A. Drugz are reissuing their 2013 EP Outside Place on Hovercraft Records out of Portland, OR. The band members were from other groups like the Clorox Girls and Suspect Parts. The record comes out on June 12. Right now we have the song with a video. The video takes a lot of shots from Repo Man and the directors shot in as many Repo Man locations as they could. This will be a real treat for the film’s fans. The song is poppy and garage-y and it has a Spanish influence where the song modulates up and down a half step. The more you hear it the better it gets. It’s simple but effective. There is more of the same on their EP, our pick is “Marina” – embedded below. The whole EP can be heard on Bandcamp.
Speedfossil went to London and came back with a song recorded at Abbey Road Studios. That’s a great trip! They also played the Cavern Club. The video for the song has all photos of them in London and in the studio. The song is another full lush pop gem that has become the groups hallmark. We like that the song extends the ending where you can hear the bass player bouncing around like later stage Paul McCartney.
Mad Painter has a new album on the way. In prep they have a video for the song “Empty Bottles”. The song is organ heavy and has a blissful positive sixties vibe. PODCASTS........ Sethyspice enjoyed Father’s Day by having Charlotte do the talking but he still picked all the glam music on the Elastic Glam Breakfast Show. The song that seems to stop time T. Rex’s “Cosmic Dancer” started the show. There were a few live cuts this week, one from Chappell Roan from the 2024 Boston Calling show. Sethyspice played The Scarlet Opera with “Somebody’s Gotta Love ‘Em” after playing Queen. They do have some Queen influence. They pump it up with glam goodness. The Music Junkie Press says they could be 'your next favorite band' Locals this week are the brand new Linnea’s Garden “Chaotic Bisexual Summer” and Gene Dante & the Future Starlets. Classic glam was from Mudd and Slade (a live cut). We liked “Boogie Room Boogie” by Flavor and checked out their Bandcamp page. We love that in 2024 they tag their music as “glam, bubblegum, boot rock, power pop and junkshop glam.” Some of their music is so spot on authentic glam. Like “(You’re My) Hoovercraft” that starts with a typical glam stomp intro. Hear that below.
If you haven’t listened to the Elastic Glam Breakfast Show you’re missing the new glam experience.
Dave Tree was on Joel Gausten’s podcast. It’s two hours long and it had to be because this is Dave Tree and he has a lot to say. Joel zeroed in on what Tree has been doing since the 2019 reunion for the Chris Doherty fundraiser at the Paradise. Dave likes to be productive and he says that's a main drive for him. He’s got four more songs ready to record and a few more recorded and will come out with videos. He talks about a slew of new shows that are in the near future. Dave bemoans the disappearing small clubs and the proliferation of large ones. He also talks about the economics of booking a band, things we non-band people don’t think about. They also talk about parking. Parking at Big Night Live during a game at the Garden, and parking in the area of the MGM Music Hall is super expensive too. The conversation goes to different places. Dave is very plugged into what’s going on now and what he sees as important.
NEW MUSIC/CDs......
Dave Tree mentioned the band Poor Impulse Control, from Cape Cod, in his podcast interview (see above). They play Oi/Punk/Skinhead rock. Their latest album Where Angels Fear To Tread came out in April. This is powerful no bullshit stuff. This group is one tight playing unit. They are locked in step and the singer is right there in sync. What a good find!!
Down by Law have a new album Crazy Days coming out on July 12. They have one song released now “Stand Up, Stand Down.” Dave Smalley is singing. Longtime guitarist Sam Williams grabs your attention with a neat and unusual sounding riff. New drummer Matt Morris is notable too. The song is very good and the band is banging it out but the mix sounds thin on the bottom to us. We think there should be a bigger kick there. Still good listening though.
When we first heard a song from RI band Pavid Vermin’s album we couldn’t figure out what was happening. It was pop but had the title “Desecrate the Cathedral.” It turns out that the concept of the album is very unusual. The song titles are from a death metal song generator with the music being sixties pop. Great idea! Now we get it, and it is hilarious and hey, very tuneful. To hear a song titled “Excremental Feast on the Decomposing Remnants of Humanity” come out as mainstream radio friendly sixties sounding with whirling organ riffs is mind bending. “Sacrificed by Cannibals at the Bottom of the Stairs to the Church of Blood” sounds like it should be about a day at the beach if you go by the music but it’s about, you know, cannibals at the bottom of the stairs to the church. As the song says “it’s just a little unexpected”. “Baptized in Searing Acid in the Cesspool of the Necrotic Slaughterhouse” is actually soul sounding with some horns and pronounced bass as the lyrics draw out the baptized in searing acid scenario. It goes on… “Dismembered Limbs Rotting in a Pool of Carnal Disfigurement” sounds like a song about teenage heartbreak, “Profound Suffering Into an Endless Vortex of Agony” sounds like a song about true love and “Tormented Corpse Exsanguination” sounds like it's extolling the glories of twisting the night away (although there is a cacophony that sounds like a horror show in the middle of this one). Even though this was home recorded, the arrangements are well done and make up for any sonic qualities not up to a studio recording. The whole thing wouldn’t have the effect it does if it wasn’t for the excellent song writing. You want something different? Look no further.
J Prozac has released the whole new Obsession album on Bandcamp. Jay’s unerring pop punk sensibilities guarantee a quality pop punk opus. On Obsession it seems he's has bumped things up a notch. The arrangements are tighter than ever, and the lyrics deal with various problems that color the songs. This does not sound like just another pop punk album. Songs like “Obsession”, “Problems”, Darkness” and the “Bitter End” bring emotions with them that Jay works out in the performance of the song. One the most intense moments is the ending of “This Is It”. The last stanza repeats for almost a minute and the intensity builds. The music stops suddenly and the cacophony of background voices continue for a few seconds. They seem like the manifestation of the ‘voices in my head’ that haunts the singer. Every time we listen we hear more moments that we love. It’s actually hard to pick a favorite song because we keep changing our minds when we hear another song. We think this is a major work for J Prozac who has albums galore before this. We have “No Brians, No Problem” on our Top Ten Songs.
The Hollywood Stars have their whole Starstruck album on Bandcamp. The first two songs pre released (“Can’t Do It Right” and “Taxi Driver”) were so good you knew the album would be in line with those two and it is. It’s a generous 15 songs long. “Haunted” has a different sound. It has big Spaghetti Western guitar lines in the middle and the end. Real nice. “Am I Right or Wrong” has a Bo Diddly beat. We get a Sweet vibe on this especially when they do the drum break near the end. “Revenge” is typical of how the band takes a song and works it. It gets better and better as it goes along. They pound out the beat with drums and then let the bass take and then add squealing wah wah guitar for excitement. “Walking With An Angel” is a comfortable mid-tempo song that weaved a spell over us. We have this on our Top Ten Songs They get a Kim Fowley song in there too with “Shortage of Love.” It sounds like an Ebow on the guitar solo which has striking tone and sustain. The band really works this song up. You have to feel happy for this band this whips out this fine album after a 40 year gap in their career. It’s the feel good story of the summer.
Dot Dash are a Washington DC punk/post punk/pop band that have seven albums out. Their latest is 16 Again (named after a Buzzcocks’ song) which is a collection of 16 songs from those previous albums. They describe it as a Greatest Hits collection from a band with no hits. There’s a ton of great songs here. They all fit cohesively together too. Sonically and thematically they are of a one. All the recordings sound pleasantly raw and the guitar has a slightly overdriven tone that they can also get a jangle out of too. We feel like we’ve been missing out just hearing this group now. We think you should do what we did, which is just start listening and get lost in the flow of cool songs and playing. We wished they were local to us, we would haunt this group.
Here's some good shows coming up .....
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) Cosmic Psychos, Nine Pound Hammer, M.O.T.O. at the Brighton Music Hall TIX 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 25, 2024 (Tuesday) Gossip Collar, The Brave Noise, Andy California, and Stress Balls - MIddle East Up 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 4, 2024 (Thursday) Another awesome Scurvy Dog Mega Show - check out the FB page for bands etc. 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) Rockin Bob Punk Band, Kermit's Finger, The Grommets, Lobo Hombre at The Midway for a 3PM matinee show 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 & 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 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) Booze Cruz'n on tha Harbah- yes on a boat with The Queers, Unnatural Axe and Stop Calling Me Frank - boat leaves at 4PM SHARP- Rowes Wharf - FB page for info and tix 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, 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 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.
|
Skinny Mike and Steph are closing Mike’s Monster
Guitar in Cambridge. Skinny Mike says : “After 30 years in the
guitar/guitar repair business, I’ve decided to officially retire and start
a new chapter of my life. I will be closing the shop effective July 1 2024.
Thanks for being great customers and better friends. It’s been my pleasure
to rock with y’all.”
Jim Sullivan has been a major critic on the Boston rock scene
for decades. His articles on punk groups in the Boston Globe were validating.
Punk was underground and alternative, Jim’s writing were what was needed
to raise the awareness and legitimacy of the new music. Writer Don Armstrong
has an insightful profile of Jim that brings his story up to date.
BOOKS......
June 17, 2024 (Monday) Threat
Level Burgundy, Futon Lasagna, Last Reel Hero at The Jungle 
June 22, 2024 (Saturday) Stop
Calling Me Frank will be doing Dedham Porchfest this coming Saturday
along with The Haymakers and Bob Cenci with his orange
guitar! you can find them in their practice space at 236 Curve Street
in Dedham between 5:00 and 8:00 and enjoy the music!
July 4, 2024 (Thursday)
Impact Driver, Moose Knuckle, Helldog, Impulse Control,
Working Poor at O'Brien's
July 13, 2024 (Saturday) Psychic
Weight, Neighborhood Shit, Latch, Silent Spring and more at the Peabody
VFW in 20 Stevens St Peabody, MA.
July 26, 2024 (Friday) Carrot
Flowers, Toadpatrol, Bleach The Sky, Ruffian Dick at The Union Tavern
- 
August 3, 2024 (Saturday) Mayhem In Manchester!!
with WORM (their 21th Anniversary Show), Street Trash,
WarGraves, Gagger at The Shaksheen Pub - 
September 6, 2024 (Friday) Bootleg Dan
presents: Sharp Class, Muck and the Mires, The Chelsea Curve
at The Burren - 
September 19, 2024 (Thursday) Bootleg Dan
presents: Arthur Alexander Band, The Glimmer Stars, Tiger Bomb
at Blue in Portland, ME
ACEBOOK