About a month ago Richie Parsons of Unnatural
Axe posted on Facebook that he was going to quit punk. He was
going to go into the studio to record his last batch of punk songs and
that would be the end.
We were shocked. People don't really make sharp ending to lifetime interests like that, never mind drawing a line in the sand publicly about it.
We talked to Richie about his decision, what brought it on and where
the road would lead from here. We also visited Ed Reimer's
studio where Richie's last recording session was taking place to see
how that was proceeding. It's all in our page on Richie Parsons and
the "last punk recording".
As we lose the smaller venues for live music we are also happily gaining them!!
We still miss Atwood's Tavern ....but the good news is Remnant
Brewery is taking over the space ... and they say they'll book some
of the same bands but with not as ‘robust’ a frequency. ...huh?
What's cool is that, though they don't mention food being offered anymore they
will offer a more up to date drink offerings: "The beer menu will be full
of Remnant beers, and one to two other drafts that were staples at Atwood’s,
In addition to beer, there will be other alcoholic and nonalcoholic offerings
for folks that prefer a mixed cocktail, wine, cider or nonalcoholic draft. We’re
also excited to bring a full service coffee shop to the space. So when you visit,
you can grab a cappuccino or espresso shot and then stick around for a beer
or three."
Dig Boston gets the back story onDeep
Cutsthe new venue in Medford Square. The owners Ian McGregor
and Jeff Wetzel are not fly by nights, they are committed and
have worked around the restrictions of the Covid era to end up where they are
now. They've put years into this project. The space can hold up to 240, so its
a great size and they've teamed up withGet To The Gigfor booking bands in the space.
The first show with Zip Tie Handcuffs, Black Beach and Today Junior
happened last Saturday. Shows coming up include - Death Valley Girls
on 6/10, Bad Idea USA, Pink Slip, The Jacklights, Blame It On Whitman on 6/29.
Read more on Dig
Boston.
And if you like doing lunch.....and The Sheila Divine’s
music, then you might want to think about The Bohemian Club
in Salem. Aaron Perrino, the singer in Sheila Devine, decided
to quit his daytime corporate gig and open a gourmet sandwich shop in Salem.
Aaron have started a fundraiser
on Mainvest.
This is such an awesome idea!! Apropos to its location themes of secret societies,
the occult, witchcraft, and the spiritualism movement play a big part in the
shop. the sandwiches will be named after tarot cards!! The Devil will be Piri
Piri fried chicken with pickles and cole slaw - sounds pretty good to us!! A
sample menu is on the Mainvest page.
The Nervous Eaters gigs get better and better!! September
29 they play with The Fleshtones at The Café Nine in
New Haven. On September 26 they are at the Middle East Up with Dead
Boys and Plimsouls. Hey Middle East Up, that’s
too small for that line up….maybe that will get pushed downstairs.
TicketsFacebook
page
The Smiths’ bassist Andy Rourke’s death brought
in a lot of tributes this week. He was 59 and died from pancreatic cancer.
The Smiths influence can’t be underestimated and it seems to grow as
time goes on. From afar it seems what every member of that group did was magic.
How does one come out with something so new and meaningful that affects millions?
There are many choices some that may offend people or be a source of ridicule….yet
they go on. That’s why we celebrate courageous artists like Andy
Rourke. Some comments
from musicians in Billboard.
VIDEOS......
The video for blindspot’s new song “Still Breathing”
is sleek, stylish, minimalist and modern just like their music. This
is the group’s first release since Covid came a knocking. We always
thought there was a big audience out there for them. Being semi-finalist
in the 2019 Rumble showed that too. They have an indie sound but not
in a cookie cutter way. The singing and playing here is superb. The
guitar kicks in at just the right times and is very tasteful. The melody
in the chorus will hook you. Singer Alexa Economou knows how
to deliver a lyric.
Drew Stone of the NYHC Chronicles has a different
sort of guest this week. It’s Steve Birnbaum who does
several things but one is researching locations where album covers and other
iconic photos were shot. He holds the photo up in the original album cover photo
location. Dip
into his Instagram page to be wowed: Ramones, Cramps, Germs, NY Dolls and
SO many others!!
Here’s a video of a Adam Woo who does The
Daily Woo on YouTube. He does a walking tour of NYC showing spots
make famous by the life and songs of the Ramones.
He starts at 53rd and 3rd. He shows where the first album
was recorded in the Radio City Music Hall building, he goes to Joey
Ramone Place in the Bowery, Alan Vega’s apartment,
where CBGB’s was and also gets to the Joe Strummer mural.
He also shows Albert's Garden which is also mentioned
in the NYCH Chronicles above because it’s where the photo on the
cover of the first Ramones album was taken.
PODCASTS.........
Linnea Herzog of Linnea’s Garden took the seat at Blowing
Smoke with Twisted Rico this week. Herzog came from St. Paul, MN to
Boston for college and never left. Linnea has a PHD in neuroscience.
Linnea first was attracted to grunge. Bowie was a later influence. She’s
always down plays her guitar playing but her riffs and fills are top notch.
She discusses her guitar pedal effects with Steev.
She left PowerSlut (2019 Rumble runner’s up) because
her new songs didn’t fit the group and started Linnea’s Garden.
Linnea seems to have boundless energy, which comes across when she talks. She's
been at the head of the pack since just before Covid and there’s no indication
that will change anytime soon.
The latest podcast is on the making of the Violent Femmes
first album. At the beginning the Milwaukee group couldn’t get a club
to book them and they took to playing on the street. With money from one of
their father’s they recorded that first album. That album sounded like
nothing else at the time and nothing much now either.
There is spend time talking about “Blister In The Sun” a song many
think is about masturbation but the band denies. This is perfect place to get
the background behind this fascinating album.
NEW MUSIC/CDs......
One of the first impressions with the Sapling album Amor
Fati is: whoa, I need more time to absorb this!! It’s so
different and full of ideas that you can’t just give it a casual listen.
It begins with a spoken word cut. It’s a stream of non sequiturs, upended
cliques, and flotsam and jetsam of observations and short comments. It’s
all done with humor. You realize that someone has their antenna up and probably
has a notebook full of these tidbits. It puts you on alert that this group has
a lot to say and is going to require your attention.
Later in the album “The Werewolf of Nikola Tesla: A Museum” covers
similar territory as the opening cut but has more song structure.
The instrumentation is mainly guitar, bass and drums. Everything is low. There
are no guitar solos or anything in the treble range. They have Dana Colley,
master of the low sound, on the bass clarinet on one song.
Your ear and brain have to realign to the Sapling palate. You adjust your
expectations and that’s a good thing.
This group is breaking up the well-trodden punk rock path. The melodies are
basic. The music seems basic too, but there are lots of sweeping noise washes
that must have taken a long time to create. The arrangements are also very precise
with lots of change ups. The recording is clear and unaffected. It never gets
in the way of what the group is doing.
The album ends with another spoken piece that leads to a hidden cut which is
a hilarious extended rant on the horrors of “paint night”. Doing
everything with humor is a big plus on this album.
We expect to be listening to this for a while to really appreciate what Sapling
has done on this. They could jump start a whole new wave of post punk art rock
with Amor Fati.
I-95 Records
is doing a series of covers of eight 45’s that have come out from Detroit.
The Bellrays
from Riverside CA have continually given us some powerhouse music since their
beginning in 1990. Now they covering "Ball of Confusion” the 1970
song by The Temptations and also covered by Love and Rockets for this series.
This is a song a group should think about before covering. It’s no problem
for The Bellrays who pump it up with raw energy, raucous guitar work and the
mighty voice of Lisa Kekaula. This is due to come out officially
on June 2.
Cleopatra Records has a tribute album of interest titled High
Voltage Punk. It’s all AC/DC songs done
by some notable punk acts like: 999, The Queers, UK Subs, Flipper, Peter
and the Test Tube Babies, The Skids, The Vibrators, nti-Nowhere League, The
Angry Samoans and more. 14 cuts in all.
One song released now is Fear covering “Dirty Deeds
Done Dirt Cheap.” Hear that below.
Here's some good shows coming up .....
May 22, 2023 (Monday) Strawberry
Coffin, Adapter Adapter, Blue Manic, Rougarou at The Silhouette
May 24, 2023 (Wednesday) Doom
Lover, Thrust Club, Daphne Blue Underground, Really Great at The Silhouette
May 25, 2023 (Thursday) C.E. Skidmore & The Damn Fine Band (and
friends) Mike Frazier, Jared Hart, and Miketon Graton
at Faces in Malden
May 27, 2023 (Saturday) Lenny
Lashley Gang of One, Hammered Saint, Crystal Lizard at The Square Root
May 27, 2023 (Saturday) Highway
Chapel, Nymphidels, Happy Little Clouds, Johnny Plankton and the Sea Monkeys
of Sole at The Midway for a matinee @ 3PM.
May 28, 2023 (Sunday)Boston Vinyl
& Variety - at Fields West Allston, LOADS of record stores, vinyl
vendors and other vendors like Wanna Hear It Records, Ancient Injury Records,
Kitty Levesque Vintage, Black Mold Market, Archie Snow, Gonzo Sonic, Judge Amps
- Amp Demo Table, Period Three Records - Lathe Record Cutting and for the Merch
Swap - Leave An Item Take An Item - 5-10PM - FREE but RSVP
here on Sun May 28,,,,can you add to the calendar you run in BGN ( see attached
file)
May 28, 2023 (Sunday)1.4.5. and
Tom Kenny and the Hi Seas at the Middle East - music starts
at 8PM.
May 30, 2023 (Tuesday)Louzy, Trash
Rabbit. North By North, Wild Velvet at The Midway
June 1, 2023 (Thursday) Gretchen
Shea and The Middle Eight, Detroit Rebellion, Stubborn Hearts at Notch
Brighton FREE
but RSVP here and bring some shelf stable food to donate.
June 2, 2023 (Friday) Justine
& The Unclean, Barrence Whitfield & His All-Star Band, Spiller at Faces
in Malden TIX
June 2 & 3, 2023 (Friday/Saturday) Southbridge
Mass will have its moment with the Alt_Together Festival! (Southbridge
is between Worcester and Springfield) Friday’s bands are: Remy,
Gold Star Boulovard, Mattias Band, Back in 86', Gx42, Saturday’s
bands are: Lurid Purple Flowers, Evil Felipe, Circus Trees, Bobby for
Apples and Whalom Park. FB
pageTickets
are here
June 3, 2023 (Saturday) It's Dorchester
Porchfest ...or...Dorchfest!! Tsunami of Sound and Richie Parsons 1:30-4:30PM
- 4 Westmoreland St. Dorchester- FB
page.
June 3, 2023 (Saturday) Eddie Japan,
Magen Tracy & The Missed Connections, Carissa Johnson at Faces
in Malden. FB
page.
June 3, 2023 (Saturday) Mach Bell
Experience, Joe Hart Band at Magic Room
June 8, 2023 (Thursday) Tysk Tysk
Task, PiNKLIDS, Trash Rabbit at Notch Brighton FREE
but RSVP here and bring some shelf stable food to donate.
June 8, 2023 (Thursday) Done,
WOJTEK (FL), Headfoam (FL), Constantly Terrified,
Psychic Weight at O'Brien's Allston
June 8, 2023 (Thursday) SkyTigers,
Between Skies Perennial Quest ay Faces Malden
June 11, 2023 (Sunday) The Thigh
Scrapers, Classic Ruins, The Ballbusters, Loretta at The Midway for
a 3PM Matinee show.
June 11, 2023 (Sunday) Kid Gulliver & Museum Direktors
at Worthen Attic
June 15, 2023 (Thursday) Chris
Wagner (Modern Day Idols) solo show at the Natick Common, Natick. Set
time: 5-7pm.
June 15, 2023 (Thursday)Modern
Day Idols, Tad Overbaugh and the Late Arrivals, If We Go At All at
The Central Tavern, Milford.
June 17, 2023 (Saturday)Punk Rock
Picnic - afternoon of live indie and punk in the beer garden with Baabes,
Muzzin, Hammered Saint at Bone Up Brewery in Everett. 2 PM –
7 PM. FB page.
June 19, 2023 (Monday) Gossip Collar
(Tom & Victoria from Spitzz), Alijca Pop (from Memphis) and Daughter
of the Vine at State Park.
June 19, 2023 (Monday)Dropbear,
No / Nations, Weatherless, Not Bad Not Well at The Silhouette
June 21, 2023 (Wednesday) Lupo
Citta, Valley of Weights, Nat Freedberg at The Silhouette
June 21, 2023 (Wednesday) The
Rippers Rage (Rage Against The Machine Tribute), Rawstrum,
The Melted Chapstix at The Midway
June 23, 2023 (Friday) Baabes,
ESH & the Isolations, Goon Platoon, Ruffian Dick, Turn Heel at
O'Brien's
June 23, 2023 (Friday) Speedfossil,
Little Billy Lost, Midnight Caller at The Square Root
June 24, 2023 (Saturday) The Chelse
Curve are doing an afternoon show at The Lawn on D (420 D St Boston)
music time: 1PM!
June 24, 2023 (Saturday) SkyTigers,
Loud Love, Dave Strong Band, Coffin Salesman (stripped down), The
Zombie Mafia at The Midway for a 3PM Matinee
June 26, 2023 (Monday) Gretchen Shea And The Middle Eight, Salem Wolves, Luxury
Deathtrap at The Silhouette
June 26, 2023 (Monday) The Murder
Junkies 30 Year GG Deathaversary Tour (Playing a full set of all old
GG songs) with local lineup Psycho, Midnight Creeps, Scümbari
- At Alchemy, Provi, RI Doors 7pm Music 7:30pm - FB
page.
June 29, 2023 (Thursday) Bad Idea
USA, Pink Slip, The Jacklights, Blame It On Whitman at Deep Cuts, Medford.
July 1, 2023 (Saturday) The Crank-Tones
at The Midway for a 3PM Matinee
July 1, 2023 (Sunday) Tsunami
of Sound (10:30am), Nervous Eaters (12:30pm), Mach Bell Experience
(2:30pm) at MusicCons outdoor stage at Boxboro Regency Hotel.
July 9, 2023 (Saturday) The Zip-Ups,
Cold Expectations, Glow Box at The Worthen Attic 4-7PM Matinee
July 15, 2023 (Saturday) The Shang
Hi Los & Gene Dante & The Future Starlets
- at the BUrren EARLY show- music starts at 7.
July 15, 2023 (Saturday) The Grip
Weeds, Fling, American Ocelot at The Square Root - FB
page
July 16, 2023 (Sunday) Holy Smoke,
Little Billy Lost, Shiverlane at The Midway 3PM Matinee
July 21, 2023 (Friday) Midnight
Creeps, Hammered Saint, Sourpunch at The Midway
July 22, 2023 (Saturday) Blame
it on Whitman, Jerrys Got Jokes, SleepJumper, Dear Maryanne - at The
Midway 3PM Matinee
July 22, 2023 (Saturday) The Lemon
Drop Gang EP release with The Dogmatics, The New Frustrations
at The New World Tavern Plymouth MA. Facebook
page
July 23, 2023 (Sunday) Cro-Mags
(Performing Best Wishes), The Long Wait, Klaxon, Face First, S.A.C at
Alchemy in Providence RI
July 28, 2023 (Friday)Skybar Rising & Rum Bar Records present
Summer Sizzler Round 2 @ The Square Root with The HI
End, Freeloader, Kate RedgateFB
page
July 29, 2023 (Saturday) Color
Killer at The Square Root
August 5, 2023 (Saturday) Crown
Court, Violent Way, Oil!, Klaxon, Doc Marten Soundsystem at The Midway
- 8PM
August 5, 2023 (Saturday) Huck
2, Alabaster Sons, Bobby Oakes and TV Models, Getaway Moon, Daisy at
The Midway Cafe for a Matinee Show.
August 8, 2023 (Friday) Modern
Day Idols at Exhibit A Brewing, Framingham. 7-9PM
August 8, 2023 (Friday) Tiger
Bomb, Freeloader at The Burren FB
page
August 19 & 20, 2023 (Sat & Sun) In Between Days Festival - 2 Stages, 2 Days, 24 bands ... and
Cool Vintage and Local Market Place, Vinyl Record Pop Up Shop, Food, Modest
Mouse , Weakened Friends, Paper Tigers, Clarissa Johnson, Dutch Tulips
and the South Shore’s own Gypsy Moths. You'll want to
get your tickets now because they have a ‘tier’ system. They have
some "tier" ticket scheme so the longer you wait the higher the ticket
prices are. FB
page
August 25, 2023 (Friday) Bone
Up Brewing Seventh Anniversary Festival Night 2 - 6pm -10PM with
The Guilloteenagers, Blood Lightning, Lesser Glow
August 25, 2023 (Friday) Mach
Bell Experience, The Cynz (NYC) at Back Room at the Burren
August 26, 2023 (Saturday) Bone
Up Brewing Seventh Anniversary Festival Day 3 12:30pm- 10PM with from
1st to last: DnA's Evolution, Glacier, Sundrifter, Clouds Taste Satanic,
North Star the Wanderer, SkyTigers (6PM), Brain Famine
August 27, 2023 (Sunday) Bone Up
Brewing Seventh Anniversary Festival Day 4 - 12:30pm - 7PM - with Weisstronauts,
Organ Meats, Hobo Wizard, Cortez, Major Stars, Crowfeeder
September 3, 2023 (Sunday) Belvedere
at Faces Malden
September 10, 2023 (Sunday) Somerville
Rock + Roll Yard Sale Union Square 12 - 5PM. FB
page.
September 10, 2023 (Sunday) Huck2
Album Release Party! With special guests Key of Caustic, Motel
Black, and Acrylic Killers at , The Middle East UP
Doors at 5:30PM
September 26, 2023 (Tuesday)
September 28, 2023 (Thursday)Dead
Boys, GLiDER, Midnight Creeps, One Fall at Alchemy Provi RI. FB
page.
September 29, 2023 (Friday)Anti
Heros, Legion 76, Antagonizers, Blood Stained Brindle, Absuctors -
Middle East Down.
September 29, 2023 (Friday)The
Fleshtones + The Nervous Eaters - FB page https://www.facebook.com/events/656261933165054/?ref=newsfeed
October 11, 2023 (Wednesday) The
Mission UK & The Chameleons: Deja Vu Tour
2022 Rescheduled to 2023!!! also on the bill Theatre of Hate
October 26, 2023 (Thursday) Mudhoney
at The Brighton Music Hall 18+ TIX
November 3, 2023 (Friday) Modern
Day Idols Single Release Party with Tad Overbaugh and the Late
Arrivals at Square Root, Roslindale.
December 8, 2023 (Friday) Huck
2, Gretchen Shae and The Middle Eight and Key of Caustic
at Koto Underground, Salem
CONTACT US AT....misslynbgn@yahoo.comSend us your gig listings,
your anything else you've got!! You want your CD reviewed?? Contact us
for that too.
We interviewed David Bash on the week where his International Pop Overthrow is
coming to town. It's some backgroud on the history of the event and of course talk about POP..........
We bring you into the Rat Room at the Hotel Commonwealth.
Jimmy Harlold invited a group of scene veterans. It was a Rat reuion
with lots of stories exchanged. Get to see the room and the people.........
Johnny Angel writes a mystery novel Looking for Lady Dee steeped in Boston punk and Thrills history.
It's no apologys given for the punk lifestyle. ....
It appeared before us like a chimera and it's
still growing...it's the Pipeline 25th Anniversary celebration.
We interview mastermind Bob Dubrow about his background and
search for what motivates him as well as Pipeline history and
the show....
The Boston punk community comes out for a good cause.
Neighborhoods, Upper Crust, Dents, Dogmatics, Roy Sludge Trio, Ed
Moose Savage, Downbeat 5 and Classic Ruins raise some money and
rock the house at......
He's legendary and his surprise birthday party was legendary in turn. Only in your Boston Rock and Roll dreams could you come up with a night like this.......
In a case of reverse outsourcing Carl Biancucci of the Classic Ruins also plays bass in the English group Shotglass Killers.
He tells us about a gig at the 100 Club with a reformed Damned....
The Konks' hypnotic bashing was a smart mindlessness that you got addicted to. They are calling it quits and we'll miss 'em and there's no free clinic out there to help us either...........
Thank god for 110 Instamatics or we wouldn't have a lot of our early Boston punk photos. Kathy Flynn used hers to get some pics of the Rat and The Club and she sent them to us to share with you..........
One of the interesting things in the early days of Boston punk was seeing the attention grow around us. One watershed moment was when we heard that a Time Magazine reporter was going to visit the Rat. We didn't like the resulting article. But you can decide. Take a look at the ....
...
Let's get real. We are all getting older and will die. Do you ever consider how you will be remembered? I'm talking about your tombstone. It's morbid, it's in poor taste, it's .....
Crotch biting...head bleeding...dick jiggling...it's all in Miss Lyn's report (with photos to prove it) from the GG Allin 10 Year Memorial Tour at the Middle East....
Punk started 25 years ago. Did any of us think we would ever make it this far? Probably not, that was punk; nihilistic, "no future!". Here is a place to remember, and give a moment of thought to, those who didn't make it
this far...
The minute she hit the scene she was every male punk's heart throb. She was beautiful. She had a winning personality. She had a ...well...a...glow. That could be my heart talking because I, Blowfish, confess: I too am Judy's love slave. We didn't just love Judy, we worshiped her. So, now all of us members of Judyism have somewhere to meet and offer our prayers of unrequited love.
1977-The Damned were ready to piss on Blowfish and started to undress Miss Lyn! And people seemed to like it!! This interview IS outrageous...for then AND now!