The BGN News Archive

This year's Fuzzstival is at the Armory in Somerville

The accolades were pouring in on social media for Bill Abbate who passed away this week. Bill was a DJ on WFNX and WBCN. Peter Choyce called him an “all round cool guy”. “He was kind in such a cutthroat business.” said fellow BCN colleague Bill Bracken" ”He was so incredibly kind and compassionate,” commented friend Jeannette Chambliss.

Bill Abbate was at FNX and BCN during their mutual heyday. That was when local groups had their songs played on the big stations and it created excitement. We will probably never see that phenomenon again.

The Fuzzstival is on for 2024. It’s October 18 and 19 at the Armory in Somerville. One day pass is $25 and two day is $40. Tickets here Scroll down to the Gig Listings to see what bands when.

Cheetah Chrome posted an update on his condition after falling off stage. He says he has 4 broken ribs, 3 fractured lumbar vertebrae, 1 thoracic and another pelvic fracture. He is now out of the hospital and in a residential physical therapy housing. He is also being treated for peripheral neuropathy which is the root cause of his fall.

We wish him a full recovery. Cheetah is punk royalty to us!!

On Friday August 2 Elvis Costello and group hunkered down in Q Division to practice for their show at the Newport Jazz Festival. Evidently Elvis mentioned the studio on stage at the show too. You can see some pics on the Q Division Facebook page

VIDEOS......

The Pixies documentary Loudquietloud: A Film About The Pixies is on YouTube for free. This is an up close look at the group members as they reboot the group in 2004.

RADIO......

Skybar had Terry and Lenny from Stop Calling Me Frank on his Rising show this last Tuesday. They gave a good recounting the band’s early days in the eighties. Later they revealed that they are releasing a 20 song album. The material is all older songs and rare releases. This is in conjunction for the band’s 40th Anniversary in October. They'll be playing the Midway for a celebration. The interview and a few SCMF songs are below.

The Rising show is on WMFO 93.5 FM on Tuesdays at 8pm. After that got to the WMFO schedule page Hit the Rising show on 8pm on Tuesday, then hit the ‘archive’ button.

On Wednesday’s Late Risers Mark Frances played a song that sounded like old punk and had a classic punk concern…boredom.

The song was called “She’s So Boring” by Jacket Burner. In the punk years the worst put down you could give someone was to label them boring. Jacket Burner is one person named V. Tiers who is from Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. Tiers does all the writing and plays all the instruments.

We also like the song “The List” from the same Terminal Depression album .

To hear Mark’s whole show go to the WMBR archive page and hit the Late Risers Show for Wednesday 8/7.

PODCASTS.........

It was a different Blowing Smoke with Twisted Rico this week– no Rico!! Steev had Mike Newman and Destiny Costa from WMFO doing the interviewing. The guest is Terry O’Malley of Stop Calling Me Frank. Terry talks about joining the group. Terry says he’s still overawed that he has been able to be on bills with classic Boston bands like Neats, Classic Ruins etc. Terry now teaches at the Real Music School in Burlington https://therealschoolofmusic.com/ Learning about what he was doing there was very interesting. Terry talked about “My Band on Her T-Shirt” the song about Justine Covault that Terry wrote.

Steev was back for another episode this week. He had Once’s JJ Gonson along with Stephen LoVerme. They are putting on the Somergloom at the Armory August 22 to 24 which is a whole metal show. This is the fourth time that Somergloom has happened. JJ and Stephen go over the history of Somergloom and they go over the background of some of the bands playing this year. If you’re a metal fan you should give this a listen.

JJ also talked a bit about trying to find a new venue to replace Once. Nothing sounded promising.

This week The Elastic Glam Radio Show gave some attention to Slade with two songs. One was by Slade drummer Don Powell (His web page) and his new song “Deja Voodoo”. There was also a cover of "Cum On Feel The Noize" by Slady a female Slade cover band that sounded super.

We’re always playing catch up with Elastic Glam and that was true this week. Two old glam songs were new to us and we loved them: Racey with “Lay Your Love on Me” and Hello with “Star Studded Sham”.

There was a run of four local songs by Gene Dante and The Future Starlets, Lovina Falls, Looking Glass War and Jennifer Tefft and the Strange.

Sethyspice said that Gene Dante is in a new movie. Sure enough, he’s in Gunner with Luke Hemsworth and Morgan Freeman. Gene plays Lieutenant James. If you go to Gene’s Facebook page you can see a clip of him in the movie

The glam resurgence is going strong. Here’s a glam oddity – Glam Parsons. This imagines Gram Parsons doing glam rockabilly style. Songs are “Ballroom Blitz”, “Goodbye T’ Jane”, “Under My Wheels” and “Highway Star”. It’s well done.

We started listening to Radio Warfare because they played some new Boston groups but we listen every week now because the song selection is good no matter where the music comes from. This week DJ Tim Livingston had a dynamite start to the show with two poppy punk tunes. First was Connecticut’s own The Reducers. They have some songs that just won’t go away for us. “Sound of Breaking Down” was the song Tim played.

Then it was The Boys, the very early punk pop outfit. “Weekend” is an insanely catchy song. We could live off that on repeat for a while. They are still around, their website. The podcast ended with Bo Diddly’s “Mona” a song we danced to a decade before punk.

Just because it fits in with those first two songs from this Radio Warfare show – we came across this song “Satellites” by Kansas City group The Whiffs. It’s in that 70 pop punk groove but was done recently.

NEW MUSIC/CDs......

In the Rum Bar world we have a new EP release from The Laissez Fairs. They are masters of neo-psych and that’s what you get here. The first song “Living In the Summer” drags you deep into their psych world. It echoes all the artists from the era, we even get a Beatles feeling in spots. It’s not just getting the right instrumental sound, it’s getting everything right and layering it many times over.

There are two remixes in this four song EP but there is little difference you can discern in age or recording. It all sounds heavy psychedelic. Laissez Fairs are a Las Vegas group, do they sound this authentic live too? That would be something to hear.

Punk Rock Karaoke, which has played in town a few times, have a single on Cleopatra Records. The A side is a cover of “Manny, Moe and Jack” the Dickies Song. It’s a faithful cover with the car crash sound effects at the end. It captures that Dickies oddball flavor. Singing is the Descendents Milo Aukerman.

The other song is the Bad Brains’ “Pay to Cum.” This recording brings out that main power chord riff super strong. They do the song justice. Again it has Milo singing.

You can get the record on red vinyl on Cleopatra Records

We got a lot of laughs and some good hardcore from the Citric Dummies’ Zen and the Arcade of Beating Your Ass album a while ago. Citric Dummies play off fellow Minnesota band Husker Du. To parallel Gregg Norton, Bob Mould and Grant Hart they name themselves Egg Norton, Blob Mould and Grandt Shardt.

They have a new four song EP out titled Trapped in a Parking Garage. The four hardcore skate songs are all a minute and a half. The song contents are basically their titles: “Look Out World (I’m Eating Arby’s)”, “Trapped In a Parking Garage”, “Driving a Piece of Shit” and “Sit At Home and Die”.

They have a vinyl version of the EP on the Bandcamp page

You have to be ready for local group Maryanne Toilet and the Runs. We saw them a few times. Once at the Cantab in 2014

They sing about sex in all its incarnations. Everything you know ... and things you can’t imagine. Sort of like the old Blowfly but more graphic ... much more graphic. Their new album is All Clowns are Beautiful. It's 17 songs and most are not short and most have a lots of lyrics. It also reminds us of singing comedy records of days gone by, you don’t see them much anymore. There’s a lot of effort in this album. How far can they go with this act? We don’t know, but they've been around this long! They just played out in Westfield, MA this weekend!

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

August 12, 2024 (Monday) Haunt Dog, Better Living, Nicoteens, and Voided Shape at The Silhouette

August 13, 2024 (Tuesday) Sapling, Dwelling, and Minibeast - Notch Brighton

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 16, 2024 (Friday) Worshipper, Zip Tie Handcuffs, Mother Iron Horse, Dropbear at the Middle East UP

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) Static Friction, Grip Bite, Klown Puncher, C.O.B., Rocket Gods at The Midway for a matinee show FB event page

August 17, 2024 (Saturday) Bricks of Boston, TJ Welch & The Wasted, Spectacle, Kingshot at The Midway night show

August 17, 2024 (Saturday) VaVa Voodoos, Density Black Cat, and Lucretia's Daggers at The Square Root

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 with bands LoboHombre, Already Dead, and The Grubs 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 18, 2024 (Sunday) The Courettes, Cool Beverages at Askew Providence

August 23, 2024 (Friday) Duck & Cover, Speed Teeth (Ian Clark, Jessie Von Kenmore, Andy Excuse!), Baabes at Koto Salem.

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

August 30, 2024 (Friday) Wreckless Wreck Chords Presents The FU's, WORM, Ruffian Dick and More TBA - at The C NOte - FB page

September 6, 2024 (Friday) Rixe, Public Trust, The Massacred, The Rejekts, The Pump at Sammys Patio

September 6, 2024 (Friday) Linnea's Garden celebrates the release of their newest single "No Vision," performing at the Middle East Upstairs with special guests Lipsmear, TIFFY, and Lover of Eve

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

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 FB event page

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) Wreckless Wreck Chords Presents MidDay Madness with WORM, Working Poor USA, Barry Larry, StressBall, Fice - at The Midway - Matinee 3-7 All Ages $15 3pm Doors - FB page.

September 15, 2024 (Sunday) The Thigh Scrapers, The Stigmatics 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: John Powhida, Tiger Bomb, Rick Barton Band, playing Blue in Portland at Blue in Portland, ME

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

September 20, 2024 (Friday) Bootleg Dan presents: John Hovorka Band, Crow Follow, Connor Storms and his Bouquet, at The Burren 6:15pm show

September 21, 2024 (Saturday) The Cynz, Spanking Charlene, Kanak, are at The Parkside Lounge NYC 9/21

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 28, 2024 (Saturday) Eddie Japan, Lovina Falls and Roxy and The Crisis at Faces Brewery

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

October 5, 2024 (Saturday) Dreadnoughts, Hub City Stompers, the Pourmen at Sammy's Patio Revere FB page

October 18, 2024 (Friday) The Fuzzstival at The Armory: Sweeping Promises, Babybaby Explores, Yhwh Nailgun, Bong Wish, Balaclava, Mingko, Nurse Joy, Lupo Citta, The Spatulas, Plant Fight

October 19, 2024 (Saturday) The Fuzzstival at The Armory: Doug Tuttle, Greg Freeman, Latrell James, Francie Medosch (of Florry), Paper Lady, Prewn, Clifford, War Machine, Corporeal, Pew Pe.

October 19, 2024 (Saturday) 5th annual Punktoberfest music and craft beer festival! Full lineup of bands AND breweries coming soon! Save the date…at Thirsty First Lowell.

October 24, 2024 (Thursday) Stupidity, Cocktail Slippers and the Wynotts at Alchemy, Providence FB page.

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

October 25, 2024 (Friday) Bootleg Dan presents Cocktail Slippers, The Chelsea Curve, DJ Sherman at The Burren

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

December 6, 2024 (Friday) Warrior Soul, All Sinners and Speed Teeth at Koto Salem

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.