The BGN News Archive

The Democracy Center - closed forever?

There's been a lot of upset over the closing of The Democracy Center in Cambridge. For many years now The DC has been one of the places many local Hardcore and Punk bands have their gigs. It's also been the home of PaperCut Zine Library. In April the resident organizations there were told they had 3 months to get out.

The center has now closed as of July 1. BUT...there have been protests and talks and even occupation of the building ... but nothing seems to be working. The org that runs the Center says they are closing for much needed renovations, but nothing has been done to even begin the paperwork process for said renos. They also say thaqt "some" of the residents will be allowed back after renos and the new owner organization will have a new name. 

The Democracy Center is an important place for the local community - the fear is that it will give in to "corporate greed" and will no longer be a community center. Where will all those bands have great, cheap, all ages punk shows going forward? 

Here's more info on Cambridge Day and the Save the DC Instagram page. and webpage with a lot of helpful links inlcuding "Here's what you can do" links. 

We were just looking at a random movie the other day. It was Free Fire from 2017. We were taken aback when the first thing to be heard on the soundtrack at the very beginning of the film was “Do the Boob” by the Real Kids. Then we remembered we talked about the film in the BGN News back then

The movie is set in 1970's Boston where a group was buying guns for the IRA. Things go wrong, a shootout starts and that lasts for over an hour for the rest of the film. It was not shot in Boston. The director has said that he googled something like “Boston music 1970” to randomly find the Real Kids song. He never knew the song before.

If you in the mood, you can sing the song with this karaoke version on YouTube The IMDB page has some video clips you can check out. You can see the film for $3.99 on Amazon

The Music Museum of New England now has a page on Phil'in'Phlash. They give him a nice amount of space to tell the story. Phil moved to Chicago in 1981 and there’s not a big story behind it other than he wanted to move on with his photographic career. Now he does dog training which he feels he has a special gift for. The Philin Phlash page on the Music Museum of New England

John Hovorka (2x4’s and The Turbines) is back in town (from NYC) and has done a few solo shows. Now, he has the new John Hovorka Band. It has Steve Donnelly on drums and Tim Spraque (Crow Follow) on bass. The band will be at the Burren on 9/20 with Crow Follow.

VIDEOS......

Our Noise is a trio whose origins were in NYC. Their self-titled album was recorded in Florida and Toronto. “Blackmail” is the first single. At the beginning that simple three note bass riff that circles on itself grabs the ear. When the fuzzed up guitar dupes the riff it’s a solid hook. They have some dynamic changes; at one minute they pump it up a bit, at the three minute mark they get quiet and it gets looser near the end.

They quote a lot of identifying tags for their music and we have to agree that “post-hardcore, grunge, and 90s alt-rock” all apply.

RADIO......

David Greene on Monday’s Late Risers Club played a poppy garage rocker that had a long name: “Sudah, Jangan Lagi Kau Jual Rasa Sedihmu!” by The Jansen from Bogor, Indonesia. Their album is Durja Bersahaja.

We went to Bandcamp to hear some more. The whole album has the same energy. The recording is bordering on lo-fi but that adds to the charm. We liked “Saat Berdamai Dengan Realita” and “Hanya Ada Kegelapan yang Menunggumu Di Sana.” They get a little Ramones like in “Keberuntungan Memang Tak Semua Kita Punya.” There’s a lot more to like too. This is a nice find.

Here’s a link to the album on Bandcamp and below is the song “Sudah, Jangan Lagi Kau Jual Rasa Sedihmu!”

Not quite as far as Indonesia The Bug Club are from Wales and get a good laugh with “Quality Pints” about finding good drinks as a touring band.

One way they describe themselves as is “Modern-Lovers-meets-Nuggets garage rock.” They say they follow the three R’s of song writing: repetition, repetition, repetition.

There's a lot more humor in their write up on their Bandcamp page. Just two of the songs on their On the Intricate Inner Workings of the System album are free to listen to now.

To hear David’s whole show go to the WMBR archive page and hit the Late Risers Show for Monday 7/15.

Brian Young on A Crash Course for the Ravers had Ihe Stigmatics in this week. They're a hard working group that does steady gigs. They played a parcel of new songs, but at low volume. Brian Young ended with their song “American Dream” which is excellent! The Stigmatics interview is below.

The Stigmatics are with The Thigh Scrapers, Bad Mary and Double Star this Wedeneday, 7/24, at the Middle East UP

PODCASTS.........

Blowing Smoke has Robin Lane in for the second time. Steve got Robin to talk about her early songwriting. Some of those songs have never been released and would be an interesting album.

Robin has a new song “Man Like You” that Steev played at the beginning of the show and right now that’s the only place we know to hear it. She and Steev both know the same areas in Los Angeles. So they bounced stories back and forth. Robin revealed that she is working with Adam Sherman. They are going to do house shows together.

During the Rock Garden Evolution show (Facebook page) at the Warehouse XI on July 26 &27 Adam will play songs in Lane’s group.

Robin has done a lot of work helping vulnerable people including veterans. She uses her gift for songwriting to help people deal with traumatic issues. You can find about this at Robin’s website

The Elastic Glam gave us the glam again this week. They had a very interesting song with “Three Whale Rock” by Famous Groupies. That song is about a rock formation in Thailand that looks like three whales. To get more out of this go to the video where you will see the formation.

We also enjoyed the groups that are now familiar to us like The Voltz, Mondo Cozmo and KillerStars. The live “Into My Arms” was a stunning slow burner by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds. You get “Pale Blue Eyes” by the Velvet Underground which is always welcome.

This week’s Sonic Overload had a set that tweaked our memory cells. It started with Ground Zero doing “Cybernetic War.”

That electro art rock sound was so late 70's early 80's. The band has a half hour of experimental videos on YouTube. There's also an eighteen minute YouTube post with some of their music which has much better quality sound. Ground Zero was one of the groups that did Thayer St shows.

Then it was the great The Girls doing “Jeffery, I Hear You”. That song is unforgettable for those who experienced it back in the day. Then there was a Willie Loco and the Boom Boom Band with “Dirty Eddy”. So much of the early scene was Willie. His gigs were the ones you had to go to. There were some transcendent moments at those gigs.

Later Al Quint played “Grant Hart” by The Posies. This song, an appreciation of Husker Du specifically, shows how much a group can mean to you. You wait for the albums and the songs color your life. That fanaticism that a lot of us feel (like what we just wrote about above) comes through in this song.

You can hear the whole Sonic Overload, packed with hardcore, here

NEW MUSIC/CDs......

Sometimes it seems that Nat Freedberg never rests. Too hot to do anything, says us, while Nat’s been cooking up a new album. This one is titled Let Yourself Go. Through his career Nat has played different styles, here he’s solidly in a southern groove a la Stax/Volt. It’s a tight rhythm punctuated with horns and tasty guitar fills. The songs are so well in that pocket you can image the stable of Stax/Volt singers belting them out. Others doing this struggle for authenticity but that’s no problem here. Listen to “Exception to the Rule” and “Daydreamin’” and imagine your favorite soul singer or group doing it.

Even as Nat will change his style he always has that gruff voice that stamps all his work. He’s also brought in his usual quality buds to brings the songs home. With this style you need that rhythm section to carry the load.

Some of the musicians are – drums: Jim Janota/Chris Anzalone, bass: Ed Velauskas/Jim Haggarty and guitar - Duke Levine.

“You Really Let Yourself Go” is our pick to click but this is very much a cohesive album that you should let play through.

Salem Wolves from Providence have created interest in their ambitious project The Psychotron Speaks, a 12-cut concept album out now after a prerelease of singles “So Desperate” and “November”.

You have to do your homework to come up to speed with the story/backstory. There is a website with info

To be sure the album can be appreciated by just listening. The Salem Wolves are a perfect group for this project, they play with inherent drama. They can mine different emotions via excellent arrangements. The group as a whole has a huge sound that moves nimbly when needed. We like that even though this is a concept the group doesn’t play theatrically or Broadway. It always has a deep rock base.

We like the two songs that hit hard and fast – “Can You Relate” and “Low Card.”

It’s become very familiar to us…Rum Bar Records finding another righteous rocker. Richard Duguay & The Beautiful Decline are from the West Coast. Second Prize is the 5 song EP on Rum Bar. Duguay has a recording studio and has been on some classic recordings including Guns and Roses and Johnny Thunders. “Running Alone” has a seventies stlye. With Duguay having a recording studio you know this sounds great. The guitars have great tone and the arrangement, packed with finesse and flair, showcases the band as they chime, crunch and punch out a progression. The pacing is always changing with instruments coming in and dropping out to create constant interest. It’s quite a piece of work.

This is the one song from the five song EP you can hear on Bandcamp now.

Class are from Tucson, Arizona. They have a new single. “First to Finish Last” sounds like an early English punk song and we love that. They even describe themselves as ‘proto punk’. How does a band get that sound and feel? It seems like magic to us.

Kim Deal of Pixies/Breeders has a new single. “Coast” sounds different than you might expect. It features horns all through the song. She has said seeing a wedding band playing “Margarittaville” inspired the "Coast" and thinking of it as an anti-“Margarittaville” song does make sense. It’s extremely listenable.

The song was produced by Steve Albini.

Here’s another oddity that comes unexpectedly. Months before she died in 2023 Melanie (1969 “Lay Down [Candles in the Rain]”) began recording a cover album of songs by Morrissey, Trent Reznor, the Moody Blues, Radiohead and Depeche Mode. She also began recording “I Will Walk You Home” by the Adverts from their second album.

The Melanie recording of the song is aligned with the Adverts recording and that’s the new version.

Here’s the original Adverts recording

This is on Cleopatra Records. They have also rereleased many of her original albums.

Pansy Division’s ground breaking album Undressed came out in 1991 on Lookout Records. They were the first openly gay rock band and proved immediately that writing songs about their world was easy and natural. The Undressed album is very poppy and witty. They twist “Rock & Roll High School” into “Rock & Roll Queer Bar.” “ANTHEM” their statement of intent borrows heavy from Devo.

You can hear the album on Bandcamp below but that’s not the new remastered version. You can get the new remastered vinyl version at the Sounds Radical website

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

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, 2024 (Thursday) The Hi-End, Tim McCoy Rock Quartet, J Prozac Band at The Square Root,

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, 2024 (Friday) Here’s a good All Ages show for North Shore punks. Scumbari, Phagocyte, Trollmilk and Street Trash. at the VFW in Peabody, MA at 20 Stevens St.The Facebook 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 - check the FB page for what bands what night

July 27, 2024 (Saturday) The Wynotts, The Spackles, Tsunami of Sound, Black & Grey at The Midway for a matinee at 3PMS

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

July 27, 2024 (Saturday) The Dogmatics, The Grommets and Kevin Patey’s new party band The Carnivals at The New World Tavern, Plymouth.

July 27 & 28, 2024 (Sat & Sun) O'Brien's Annual Blood, Sweat & Beers - July 27: (3PM Doors) Crowfeeder, DJ Grayskull, Karate Steve, Loudsounds, Morgued, Northstar The Wanderer, Silver Screams, Viqueen, Voidkeeper, Waelmist - July 28: 1PM Doors- Bacterial husk, Coma Hole, Cortez, Dragged By Chains, Eyespressedin, Guhts, Kind, Miracle Blood, Mollusk, Philip Eno, Shadowcloak and ... Special Guest - O'Brien's

July 27 & 28, 2024 (Sat & Sun) Worcester Punk Rock Flea Market at the Hotel Vernon! Market 1 to 7pm, Bands 4PM, Saturday bands: Ratlord, The Lousekateers, Leatherrax -Sunday Bands: Jonee Earthquake Band, Bangzz, Dando Fever Facebook page LOADS of very cool vendors.

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 2, 2024 (Friday) The Downhauls, Duck & Cover, C.E. Skidmore, Gossip Collar at Deep Cuts Medford. TICKETS

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) BV70!!! Yup, Bob Voges is turning 70 and wants to celebrate with a rocking show! So he's got Abbie Barrett, Stars Like Ours, Sapling at Warehouse XI in Union Sq Somerville. Doors at 7:00, Music 7:30. FB event page. We love Bob!!!! So be there. FB event page.

August 3, 2024 (Saturday) Hands of Spite, The Guilloteenagers, Hixx at The Jungle Matinee Show 4-7PM.

August 3, 2024 (Saturday) Mario Fest 2024 with Blood Lightning, The Humanoids, Black Helicopter, at Notch Brighton

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 3, 2024 (Saturday) recycle your punk/goth wardrobe at the S.W.A.M.P. meet in Salem! at Notch Brewing Salem 12-4PM - BUT before you go...if you want to recycle your cool stuff check the Facebook Event page..for the dates & location for drop off which are BEFORE the actual event.

August 4, 2024 (Sunday) Giuda, Midnight Creeps, Hammer & the Nails, Typhoid Mary at Alchemy, Providence, RI -this is an all ages show!

August 9, 2024 (Friday) Devils Twins, Anti-Queens, and Oh The Humanity! at Deep Cuts Medford

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 11, 2024 (Sunday) Scurvy Dog parking Lot Mega Show with Baabes, White Dynomite, Gossip Collar, Z Boys, Grip Bite & more - 1PM - 2AM FB page.

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) Boston Punk Rock Trivia at The Armory FB page

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

August 18, 2024 (Sunday) The Peelers, The Pourmen, The Gobshites at Alchemy in Prov. RI 7PM -FB page.

August 24, 2024 (Saturday) WRPS-tival with Dogmatics, Stars Like Ours, Wynotts and more At Rockland High School - Food and live music in an air conditioned hall. It’s a Scholarship fundraiser too. Facebook page

August 25, 2024 (Sunday) Benefit for Rosie's Place with Neighborhood Shit, Unhinged, No Chain, Latch, Cold Case at The Midway - this is a 3PM matinee. FB page

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 7, 2024 (Saturday) Girl with a Hawk on A Crash Course for the Ravers 1PM on WMFO- FB page

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!! with Thee Sonomatics at The Burren 7PM show FB event page.

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

September 15, 2024 (Sunday) The Thigh Scrapers and Va Va Voodoos are at the Worthern Attic in Lowell

September 16, 2024 (Monday) John Cooper Clarke comes again!!! at The City Winery [7:30PM]

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

September 28, 2024 (Saturday) Rich Mirsky is on A Crash Course for the Ravers on WMFO 1-4PM. FB page.

September 28, 2024 (Saturday) DRAGO 20th Anniversary Show with The Downhauls, Dead Like Death, The Blue Bloods at The Midway = this is a matinee at 3PM. FB page.

September 29, 2024 (Sunday) Supersuckers, Downhauls, TJ Welch and the Wasted and XEROFUX (That's Jesse Meyers and Andy Excuse's new band!!) at Sammy’s Patio - Revere Beach - Facebook page

October 25, 2024 (Friday) Moving Targets, The Long Wait, Spiller - Middle East Up - Facebook page

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.