The BGN News Archive

Staffy of The Marvels RIP Photo:Joanie Lindstrom

Staffy from The Marvels had died. We got the shocking news on this last weekend from Joanie Lindstrom of WMBR. Joanie heard the news from Staffy’s boss in Portland.

The Marvels seemed to capture the ears and hearts of all the veteran punks in town right off. For good reason, they were playing free-wheeling punk when it was in short supply in the early 2000’s. Staffy, often in the spray of the frequent beer showers, personified the spirit of the music. The first time we saw them was in 2002. They played Miss Lyn’s Birthday party at the Abbey in 2004.

We have reports on them from 2009 and 2010 . The Marvels last show on YouTube. Marvels Facebook page. RIP Staffy!!!

The Dropkick Murphys filled up Quincy Center on Saturday July 12. It was both to celebrate Quincy 400th anniversary and the release of the Murphy’s new album For the People. They pegged the number of people at 10,000. Not bad for the band that practiced in a barber shop basement nearby on Handcock St. The group played 23 songs in 95 minutes. It was hot that day too. The Quincy Ledger gives a run-down of the songs and a more detailed run down of the street scene in their article. If there is no paywall.

Meanwhile! ...Ken Casey of the Dropkick Murphys is being honored with a 2025 Massachusetts Storyteller of the Year Award on September 25 in respect to Casey's writing about Irish-American history, social injustice, and working-class struggle.

Casey will receive the award and share stories behind five of the band’s hard-hitting anthems in an intimate conversation at Artists For Humanity EpiCenter, 100 W 2nd St, Boston, MA 02127.
Mass Humanities presents the award to Casey for his decades of songwriting, his commitment to fighting injustice, and his unique use of archival material to craft relevant narratives about subjects ranging from labor rights to Irish-American identity to the threats to our democracy.
More information about “In the Archives with Ken Casey: A Benefit for Mass Humanities” can be found on the organization’s website.

Donut Monoxide who broadcasts from KALX in Berkeley, loves Boston punk. She has had whole shows on the Real Kids. Coming up she is interviewing Muck and the Mires who have a show on July 26 at Alameda Rock n’ Roll Flea Market along with the Seeds and Pandoras. You can catch the interview this Friday 7/25 at 1 pm (Boston time) on KALX. Donut Monoxide promises to send photos of the event too! We’ll have those next issue of BGN.

The Descendents are reissuing Milo Goes to College a wildly influential album. It is going to be on vinyl, CD and even cassette. The vinyl will have a few variations. You can preorder at the Orgmusic site.

BOOKS...

Bill Janovitz of Buffalo Tom, also an author of books on Leon Russell and the Rolling Stones, has his new book about The Cars up for preorder right now. At Amazon and BookShop. Forward by Greg Hawkes.

It seems like it was just a year ago that Janovitz was looking for stories from locals to add to the book. Even this short blurb seems to cover a lot of what we want to find out about: “"The band's unusual providence is fully explored here for the first time, and each of their landmark albums is masterfully chronicled and dissected, as is their profound support of the Boston music scene that has reverberated around the world and throughout the decades.
Yet, with all of the success, there were also significant conflicts within the band, which led to an untimely end. Janovitz reveals the stories of each member, and of the group as a whole, with great care and understanding.”"

Boston can feel good about that “profound support of the Boston music scene”. Boy, did the fans and radio jump on them right off. Those were exciting times.

On September 29 there will be an interview of Bill at the Berklee Performance Center by Oedipus. Also at the reading will be David Robinson and Greg Hawkes. Tickets are on sale now.

VIDEOS......

South Shore’s Worm have a video for “Eye In The Sky” from their album Slavedriver. The song is about paranoia in the digital world – or is it the plain reality of the digital world? The video shows the band alternately on stage at the C Note and then ducking surveillance.

Portland’s Tiger Bomb have a video for the song “Astro Girl” off of their Sugar Buzz album. It’s fun, super appealing garage pop. You can get the album on Tiger Bomb’s Bandcamp page.

Spiller have a video for the song “Game of Pricks” that's on their new EP What Have I Won. The original song was done by Guided by Voices. They rearrange the song a bit. The beginning sounds like the beginning of “Better Off Dead” by La Peste. They beef up the background with a wall of guitars that the original doesn’t have. They let the melody stand and that delivers the song.

In the video they add a version of “Hocus Pocus” by Focus. They skip the vein popping vocals sung in that high register. The drop in some vids of Boston sites that adds to the interest.

Malibu Lou is center stage in a new twelve minute video from J “Snag” Keith. The title is "Behind the Bar – Rum Bar Records”. You see Lou in his Tiki room as he describes the goals of Rum Bar Records and runs down what he does to keep Rum Bar in business. You have to love Lou and admire his spirit and work ethic.

There are some quest spots with Jay Allen, Kevin Patey and The Spackles. Spackle McKraken got a laugh when he described being a band in Boston as “thankless and certainly cashless.” This was the first video by Keith. It was done in conjunction with the Boston Neighborhood Network.

The Laissez Fairs have a video for “Soul Motion” off the Cryptic Numbers album released from Rum Bar Records. The video illustrates the song’s message vividly. There’ a strong feeling of disassociation with the bustling city life and an urge for a connection with nature. The Laissez Fairs don’t seem to play sixties music as much as they seem to be actually transporting it back along with all the social elements of its time.

Richie Parsons says he was in the famous Miller Life Beer commercial behind the Del Fuegos. That commercial was aired on the Live Aid broadcast in 1985 with an insanely large audience. Like a lot of locals we were at that filming at the Paradise. Like most filmings it seem like a long drudge as the band played 30 seconds and stopped a few dozen times. They played a few full songs at the end as a reward.

They also paid for us to be there. The only catch – they paid you at the end when you left. There were also a lot of smoke machines cranking which you don’t see in the commercial. The Del Fuegos seems like they were on top of the rock pile at that point. We looked on in awe. This scrappy little band was hitting the big time.

RADIO.......

Joanie Lindstrom ‘s 7/10 Late Risers Show sounded like 1977 again when she played the Taste Testors from Seattle doing “I Don’t Want You To Fall In Love With Me”. The whole self-titled album has the same punk feel to it. They have suitable Ramones song titles like: “I Don’t Wanna Be A Zombie”, “We Don’t Wanna Have Nothing To Do With You”, and “She Didn’t Tell Me She Was A Dopehead”. We wallowed in it for a while and feel good about it. We have the song “Don’t Want You To Fall In Love With Me” embedded below. Hear the whole album on Bandcamp.

On her 7/17 show Joanie went further back to the sixties when she played The Bitter Ends from St Louis with ”I’m Gonna Stay” off their self-titled album. The song was a garage rock tune from The Moxies from 1966. The whole album is non-stop stomping and fuzzing. If you like garage you should get in there and check it out. We recommend “I Lost Lenore”.

PODCASTS......

Radio Warfare out of Florida had a radio themed and Boston heavy show on 7/10. After playing “Radio, Radio” (1978) by The Kids (Belgium), DJ Tim Livingston queued up “Radio Wam Bam Boom” by the Peppermint Kicks. That was followed by “Radio Heart” by Willie Loco and the Boom Boom Band. We realized we hadn’t heard that in a long time as well as the follow up song “”Who Listens To the Radio” by The Sports (Australia). That was a alternative radio standby in 1978.

A couple of songs later it was “Skipping Records” by The Shang Hi Los and The Chelsea Curve’s new “Kindawanna”. He didn’t forget the perennial Neighborhoods doing “No Place Like Home”. Tim used to see the Hoods in Albany which they would play regularly. He even hits The Reducers from nearby New London, CT with “Better Homes and Gardens”. The whole show illustrates Tim’s good taste in punk and pop.

NEW MUSIC/CD's ......

The Dogmatics’ Nowheresville, their first full album in 40 years is out now.

There’s so much to get excited about here and a big surprise at the end. In the 10 cuts they have their latest single “You’ve Got What I Want” here as well as other recent releases “Library Girl”, “With A Scarlet Letter” and the friggin’ amazing “I Can’t Get Over You”. To us just doing the song “I Can’t Get Over You” is a career – do it and you have done enough to retire. The Dogs however, persist!

The album starts with “Key of B”. It first seems like a love song, and it is but not to a woman but to the key of B in the musical scale. All the other keys don’t do it like the key of B. Funny and it works. They get countrified with “Con Job”. There’s a con looking for a job and watch out. At the end it goes out with a whistle and twang - Morricone style.

“Rainy Nights” has something new for the group – chiming 12 string guitars. We can’t remember if they ever have used them before. Billy Loosigian is guest guitar on this track, we assume that’s him. They immediately get the Byrds effect. The song is a charmer and one of our faves. They get punky again with “Nothing To Be Learned” where they dish up a few of life’s sad truths. “No Likes No Comments” is sung by Peter and it brings to mind “Hardcore Rules”. This time they are poking fun at people’s online social site frustrations. This was ripe for a song.

They end with the unexpected “Ball Me Out” by DMZ cover. It’s a salute to their roots in Boston punk. The group has a few different styles and influences that they use to make music but this Boston punk is ground zero. A few more years keeping this output up will require a second Dogumentary to tell the story.

Happy Little Clouds has released their new nine song album Embers. Since their “The Emperor’s Song” in February 2024 they've released a string of singles every one of which has been an impressive display of writing and playing. Those five songs are included in Embers.
The group has captured the zeitgeist with their own sound and substantive lyrics. Music has to move ahead and Happy Little Clouds are right there at the front leading at the moment. We also think of Sapling the same way.

Thire last single before this album was “Clear and Present Danger” and by that time the group’s identifiable guitar sound and distinctive vocals were familiar traits we have returned to with welcome familiarity. The album now solidifies their stature and place as a new important band. The Rock and Roll Fables website marks it as a possible Album of the Year.

The new songs are: “Liar Fire” seems to zero in on some relationship ambivalence. It has the line “All my body curls like embers/Up or down I’m force to choose”. “I’m Not There” there is a section of guitar work and we loved that. Jac Mestel has a unique tone. We wonder what the influences on that are? “Offswitch” and “The Water At Your Feet” are open to interpretations and that’s why is ideal that they have the lyrics in Bandcamp so you can dig in.

The Chelsea Curve got attention by rereleasing their first album with a few extra singles. Now, we get a fresh slice of Curve with “Kindawanna”. The playful gambit of combining several words into one (a portmanteau) is the tone of the song. It is about the joy of being together in mod love. Now, we all know The Chelsea Curve pop mod sound and our spirits go up when we hear it. Just like Muck and the Mires music works for us.
Tim Gillis has some short and sharp guitar fills and that Jam chording that works magic. The drums by Bruce are rock solid and with a few no nonsense transitions. Then there’s Linda Pardee’s voice that personalizes the tune. This is one compact pop delight.

The Menstrual Cramps are from Bristol, UK. They are a feminist band and are deep into soccer/football. Thus their song “Kiss on the Pitch” is rife with double entendre sport metaphors. The song has some hard riff based backing while the vocalist has a sort of blasé delivery like “Chaise Lounge” by Wet Leg, all that makes it stand out and very amusing.

We reviewed the album Sequin Dream by local group Invisible Rays in the last BGN. On the heels of that they have a new digital release “I Don’t Dream of You”. After the line “I don’t dream of you” they follow it with “I hardly ever dream of you”. In that crack is the conceit of the song. Of course he’s dreaming of her…he’s fighting it, but he’s dreaming. The song is three and half minutes long. That gives them time to develop things in the lyrics and add melodic twists in other places. We love this new group find.

We keep on the Power Pop songs with another release from the legendary Flashcubes. Just before their tribute album is the song “Sweet Spot”. This is a gem by pros. At this point their talent and experience are unbeatable. The song is so well recorded that it’s vibrant. To borrow from The Atlantics, it gives you the pop shivers. There’s a story behind the song that you can read on the Bandcamp page.

So...speaking of Power Pop, the film about Power Pop called simply The Power Pop Movie is on the verge of release. It has loads of interviews with Power Pop heavy hitters. Our own Bret Milano gets in there too. Check the movie’s Facebook page to keep updated.

We admit it upfront. We are just hopeless fans for Today Junior. Every new release is another reason why. Their latest digital single is “If You Want To”. The opening guitar run also is the melody of the verses. Right off that’s the melodic nugget that hooks you. The band puts their own brand on the production of the recording like all their past ones. The vocals always have heavy echo. That’s their sound.

Lyrically we like what the band posted on their Bandcamp page: "‘If You Want To’ is our anthem about letting go of all the bullshit. We wrote this about being fed up of all the arguments and hatred, and wanting to find unity during a time of division. Music is our escape to finding some kind of peace together, even if it’s just for a moment." We vividly felt that urgency to escape and it almost had a novelistic sweep to it, even though it is only two minutes long. We have played and replayed this many times.
We have it on our Top Ten Songs.

Rick Barton’s last album Nowhere Man was his country record. His new song, that precedes his next album, is “The Great Unknown”. This is a country song via the Rolling Stones, they even get mentioned in the lyrics. There is darkness in the lyrics and world weariness in the singing.

It has a wonderful moment that happens four times in the song. Once is the very beginning. There is a heavy strumming of a chord and then it hangs in the air. It repeats a few times. In the song he also growls “Let me find it” in the section. For that time the forward momentum of the song halts. You feel like you are maybe in that Great Unknown he is singing about in the song. It is magic to us.

Casket Rats have a new self-titled album. They play riff based metal and it is very entertaining. You can tell from the playing that they have a lot of experience. We got some Motorhead vibes from it. They cover “Nice Boys” by Rose Tattoo whose lyrics outline the bands stance – “Nice boys don’t play rock n roll.”
They're having a free outdoor show at Courthouse Park in Brighton on Sunday July 27.

Fred Armisen was in a few punk bands and recordings but you don’t get any punk music on his album 100 Sound Effects. The album is actually like the old sound effects albums of the past but this one is more dedicated to the music world.

Some selections are: “Romanian Crowd at Rock Club Shouting for an Encore”, ” Trying Out a Distortion Pedal at a Music Store” and “Guitar Tuned but Still Somehow Out of Tune”. At around the fourteenth cut it gets non-musical with some glass breaking, basketball bouncing and the sound of a zipper. Just a weird oddity.

Our favorite angry Aussies The Square Tugs have a new song out. Simply titled “Fuck Them All”, it is a bit sweeping, but that’s our guys. What more can you say? Fuck them all, and, oh ya, enjoy!

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

July 24, 2025 (Thursday) Rum Bar Records presents Summer Sizzler Vol. 1 @ The Square Root!! Featuring: The Spackles, The Hi-End, J Prozac and The Prozacs, TBA Special Guest Acoustic Opener!! Live Music Starts 8:00 PM Sharp!!

July 26, 2025 (Saturday) Already Dead, East End Redemption, The Frenzy of Tongs, Circus Battalion, COB at The Midway for a 3PM matine

July 26, 2025 (Saturday) The Dogmatics Record Release Party with Black Cheers, Jay Allen and The Archcriminals, Last Stand, Gypsy Moths, Tom Baker and The Double Down, Stop Calling Me Frank and Band 19. At at the Waltham’s French American Victory Club- 3:30 to 11pm. Facebook event page.

July 26, 2025 (Saturday) Thrust Club, The Flaming Little Sh*ts, Ruby Grove, Tiffy at The Jungle

July 26, 2025 (Saturday) The McCritters, Dad Doxxer, The Grommets, Eric Royer at Thirsty First Lowell.

July 27, 2025 (Sunday) Threat Level Burgundy, Lefthand Hotdog, Pink Slip, Bad Idea USA at The Midway for a 3PM matinee

July 30, 2025 (Wednesday) Bad Idea USA, Cyber Bullies, Harmony's Cuddle Partyat  Deep Cuts, Medford, ALL AGES

July 31, 2025 (Thursday) The New Bomb Turks, The Drowns, Gossip Collar, Static Friction at Sonia TIX

July 31, 2025 (Thursday) Rum Bar Records presents the Summer Sizzler Vol. 2!! Featuring: Tom Baker and the Double Down, Jay Allen and the Archcriminals, The Cretins, Girl With A Hawk special guest Acoustic Opener!!Live Music starts 8:00 Sharp!

August 2, 2025 (Saturday) Primitive Romance Listening Party with live sets by Thalia Zedek and Ghost Painted Sky at O'Brien's 1-5PM afternoon show!! See FB event page.

August 2, 2025 (Saturday) MarioFest 2025 with The F.U.'s, The Humanoids, Overkillers, Ladybug Smashers, solo acoustic set by Keith Bennett and surprise guests  = 2-10PM Boynton Yards, Union Square Somerville - FB page.

August 2, 2025 (Saturday) The Dwarves, Burn Kit, Scumbari at Deep Cuts TIX!! FB page

August 2, 2025 (Saturday) The Muckers, The Gobshites, Kier Byrnes at  O'Briens

August 7, 2025 (Thursday) Castle Goblin, Divorce Cake, Circus Battalion at The Jungle

August 8, 2025 (Friday) One Fall Release Show with Tired Radio, Cape Crush, Blame It On Whitman at Deep Cuts

August 8, 2025 (Friday) Galaxy Cake, Stop Calling Me Frank, Orbiter at The Square Root

August 8, 2025 (Friday) The Lookout Honeys, Evil Streaks, Tiger Bomb, Sixes & Sevens at Geno's Portland ME

August 9, 2025 (Saturday) The McGunks, Voice of Dissent, The Graniteers, Ragz to Stitchez at The Midway for a 3PM matinee

August 9, 2025 (Saturday) Endation. Happy Little Clouds, Cold Expectations, Ex Hyena at The Jungle

August 9, 2025 (Saturday) Cocked & Loaded, White Dynomite, Brownboot at Faces

August 9, 2025 (Saturday) The Lookout Honeys, Tiger Bomb, Powderhouse at The Burren - 6PM Early show!

August 12, 2025 (Tuesday) The Massacred, Gossip Collar, Sympathy Flowers, Sin Offering, Uniformed Service at O'Brien's

August 15, 2025 (Friday) Futon Lasagna, Blackout Shoppers (NYC punk), Skum City (NYC Punk), Basics at Ralph's Rock Diner Worcester

August 21, 2025 (Thursday) Science Man, Misery Whip, Komatiite, Half Step at Squashed Warehouse, Winsor, ME ALL AGES / SOBER SPACE - Facebook event page

August 22, 2025 (Friday) WRPS-tival at Players in Rockland. Lenny Lashley, Inverter and Shove are set to perform with DJ Rocco from Rockland as the emcee with special performances. A fundraiser for the WRPS Scholarship fund. Tickets to be released this week.

August 28, 2025 (Thursday) Scrawl, Chris Brokaw Band, Phantom Tollbooth at Deep Cuts -FB event page

August 28, 2025 (Thursday) The Murder Junkies, Scumbari, Moose Knuckle, Troll Milk at Alchemy Providence RI - FB event page.

September 5, 2025 (Friday) Tension Scale is playing their FIRST SHOW (members of Downhauls, Brix'n Mortar, and many, many more). They're joined by friends Neigborhood Shit and SkyTigers!

September 5, 2025 (Friday) Tough Luck Festival (2 days!) Day One: Slow Joy, Trophy Wife, Actor|Observer, Exit 18, 5Ever, Sophie's Body - Brighton Music Hall TIX

September 6, 2025 (Saturday) Tough Luck Festival (2 days!) Day Two: Great American Ghost, Move, Euclid, Blood Tithe, Survive The Sun, Sevalynn - Brighton Music Hall TIX

September 6, 2025 (Saturday) Lonely Leesa & Lost Cowboys, Crow Follow, Thalia Zedek Band, Daylilies at The Jungle

September 6, 2025 (Saturday) Peacbreaker, The Promised End, Already Dead, WarGraves at Bad Brgr Manchester, NH - FB page

September 7, 2025 (Sunday) Rock and Roll Yard Sale in Somerville Union Square FB page for more info vendors etc

September 13, 2025 (Saturday) The Del Fuegos will be playing the Belforge Art Center (Medfield) on Saturday September 13 at 3 to 7pm. Tickets are $30.00.

September 19, 2025 (Friday) Brad Marino , Chelsea Curve, Glimmer Stars at The Burren

September 19, 2025 (Friday) Boston Fuzztival - Line Up TBA = save the date!! at Arts at the Armory - FB page to check

September 20, 2025 (Saturday) Party In Salem with Silver Screams, Yes Nanny, Sonic Bomb and Linnea's Garden at Koto Salem.

September 21, 2025 (Sunday) The Courettes and Pangs are at Warehouse XI in Somerville

September 21, 2025 (Sunday) Shonen Knife, Pack AD - All Ages at Sonia

September 27, 2025 (Saturday) Kingpin, The Long Wait, Wire Lines, DJ Vivid Oblivion at Deep Cuts

September 28, 2025 (Sunday) Allston Village Street Fair Festival - On Harvard Ave, Six blocks of entertainment. Music all day - noon to 6pm. Bands include Blindspot, Zip Tie Handcuffs and Children of the Flaming Wheel. All bands and tiems listed on website Facebook page.

October 4, 2025 (Saturday) Soraia, The Cocktail Slippers, River City Rebels, The Chelsea Curve at The Midway 8PM

October 16, 2025 (Thursday) Moving Targets celebrate the release of their new LP and are hitting the road with Atlanta based melodic punkers in Billy Batts and the Made Men, with special guests Spiller 

October 18, 2025 (Saturday) Al Barile Day at Roadrunner All proceeds to benefit Dana Farber Cancer Institute ... info coming...

October 30, 2025 (Thursday) Stupidity, Chelsea Curve, Little Billy Lost, at The Burren

November 1, 2025 (Saturday) The Barstool Preachers, The Last Gang at Deep Cuts

November 14, 2025 (Friday) Steve Conte, Muck & the Mires, Gene Dante & the Future Starlets at Deep Cuts in Medford FB page.

January 24, 2026 (Saturday) Hooligan Holiday Boston with The Oppressed - ALL AGES show at The Middle EAST 7PM doors. FB page

CONTACT US AT....misslynbgn@yahoo.com