Wess Meets West - Tonight (12/21) @ BAR

If we lived in New Haven, we’d be at BAR each and every Wednesday. After all, where else can you have New Haven style pizza, house-made beer, and free music to boot? Manic Production’s ongoing free concert series has made BAR New Haven’s place to be on Wednesday nights, although all too often work and other obligations get in the way. It takes a special lineup to get us out most weeknights, and tonight certainly fits the bill when Connecticut’s own Wess Meets West takes the stage.

Having been a staple of BAR Wednesdays and the entire CT music scene, Wess Meets West headlines tonight, with True Apothecary and A Paper Tugboat supporting. Tonight is also the record release party for Chevaliers, the formal debut from the band. We heard a few tracks from this record at their last BAR appearance when they opened for Fang Island, and the tunes have only gotten better with time. Sleek production, interlacing guitar work, and epic post-rock anthems are all hallmarks of Chevaliers, an album we’re excited to finally get our hands on. So come on down to BAR, tonight at 9. Pizza. Beer. New records (and a future Vintage Vinyl post). What could be better?

 Oh, and happy Hanukkah!

 

The Remnants - Bad Taste

“We’re the Astro Investigation and Defense Service! (AIDS)”
“We’ve got to change that name…”

“It’s like elevator music for head bangers!”

“What are you astro-bastards doing on my planet?”

“Did ya have to drink some chuck?”

Keep in mind all of these lines are much better delivered with a Kiwi accent amid the madness of an invasion of hungry aliens, which was the plot of Peter Jackson’s directorial debut, Bad Taste. The film, a gory splatterfest replete with violence, vomit, brains, and big guns, combines gross-out moments with a darkly comedic tone (An AIDS joke in '87? Bold.) making for an over the top action experience that will have you laughing until it hurts. And as no action flick would be complete without a good tune for the end credits, here’s the catchy-as-hell “Bad Taste” by The Remnants.

The Hempsteadys @ The Outer Space

It's been over a year since we last saw New London reggae-rockers The Hempsteadys.  Complex horn and guitar arrangements played with an undeniable energy is the hallmark of their live experience, and was the perfect mid-afternoon set at 2010's incarnation of I Am Festival. They'll be opening for The Soul Merchants tonight, who are playing their 2nd to last show ever.  Tickets are only $5 at The Outer Space in Hamden, or $10 for a combined ticket which includes the Teles reunion at The Space (see post below).  We've had our combo tickets for weeks and couldn't be more excited.  Hope to see you there, and check out a clip from The Hempsteadys' I Am Fest set.

The Teles Reunion Show 12/17 - Bring on the Nostalgia!

This Saturday (tomorrow), we’re going to party like it’s 2004: Local pop-punk band The Teles are playing a reunion show at The Space. Also in the lineup are the Sex Tigers, Keith Zarriello of The Shivers, and the Caligulists. Show starts at 7. $8 for the all-ages show at The Space alone, $10 for entry to both The Space and the 21+ show at The Outer Space across the parking lot, where there is a bar.

If you’re from the south-central region (or any region, really) of Connecticut and went to high school in the early to mid-2000s like me, the Teles are part of a fond high school memory of spending Friday and Saturday nights rocking out to local bands at area Knights of Columbus and American Legion halls. I remember keeping The Teles’ CD “Trust” in my CD visor in my car and listening to it as I drove to school my junior and senior year (back in the day when I hooked my portable CD player to a cassette tape adapter!). This reunion show is going to be a reunion not only for the bands, but for the fans too. I’m looking forward to this party.

More info on the facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/291921300832208/

-F

John Valby - Toad's Place TONIGHT (Xxxmas Show)

In a last minute decision, myself and the good Dr Bendel will be getting absolutely blotto tonight and singing along with John Valby, also known as Doctor Dirty.  Most famous for his "12 Dirty Days of Christmas", Valby spins classic drinking tunes into topical and disgusting epics.  Known for audience participation and taking the stage to chants of "Valby sucks!" or "Valby fucks sheep", the show will be a must see, especially so close to the holidays.  So bring the kids to Toad's tonight and give a listen to what Valby's true love gets him each Christmas.  Needless to say, NSFW.

Sinn Sisamouth - I'm Still Waiting {House of the Rising Sun}

I've been listening to far too much Sinn Sisamouth to go without posting a track.  His Khmer-language rewrites of Western hits feature distorted guitar work and frenzied, garage-band style playing.  East truly meets west on tracks from seminal acts such as Procol Harum, The Beatles, and The Animals.  More prolific than Elvis, Sisamouth recorded an astounding amount of music in his career, which was cut short in the Killing Fields after the Khmer Rouge takeover of Cambodia.  Give a listen to the 5:13 of overdriven guitar virtuosity that is "I'm Still Waiting" his version "House of the Rising Sun" and give it up for the 'King of Music' and the amazing work he left behind.

Sinn Sisamouth - I'm Still Waiting {House of the Rising Sun}

Vintage Vinyl #8 - Snake Oil (Self-Titled)

What a surprise Snake Oil was. I’d missed their previous set at BAR where they opened for Woodsman, but was glad to see them supporting for Mates of State last September for their fall tour kickoff. I was blown away, tweeting about “spacey psychedelic instrumental ROCK” during their set. Many tracks build upon themselves, a slow crescendo not unlike “The Power and the Glory” off Spiritualized’s Amazing Grace, but with more control to the clamor. Rather than fully descending into dissonance, their self-titled LP remains lush rather than cluttered, making for a melodic journey. The cover art, minimalist depictions of a desert landscape, helps influence the feel of the album, taking the listener floating across that topography, complete with washed out sands and a talking space coyote. Each side of the LP reflects the dual album covers, day and night as you travel that landscape.

Find your soulmate, Homer!

But the beauty of this album, like the bulk of instrumental rock, is that this is just my take on it. Any other listener could be transported to any number of other places, times, or even worlds based on what they hear and where it takes them, but let me assure you, Snake Oil will take you there. I used the hashtag #BuyThatLP while they were playing, which might be among the truer things I’ve ever written. This album is a must have. Here’s a clip of their BAR set, playing “I Was A Total Pyro”, the lead-off track from their debut LP, Snake Oil.

A Look Back @ The Goonies

The Goonies is one of my all-time favorite films.  It is also a film I have railed against for a number of years.  The version shown in the early 90s by a pre-commercial break Disney Channel included several scenes that greatly enhance the film's characters, plot, and narrative cohesion.  The absence of these scenes cause glaring plot holes and gaps in characterization that leave the film disjointed in parts and nonsensical in others.  For clarity and posterity for you fellow Goonies aficionados, enjoy the following scenes including an encounter with Troy at the shop, a pop-loving giant octopus, and an accidental introduction of Data's patented pinchers of peril.  I know.  It turns out it's not pinchers of power, but pinchers of peril.  You can sit down for a minute, I just found out too.  Watch the 'outtakes' below as they are definitely worth a look back.  The Goonies are still good enough.

Joe Hisaishi - Ano hi no Kawa e {Spirited Away Image Album}

The image albums for Hisaishi’s Miyazaki scores are often as entrancing as the scores themselves. Featuring alternate soundtrack arrangements as well as songs inspired by the films, these image albums are perfect companions to the official soundtracks. Take for example, this vocal rendition of “One Summer Day” on the Spirited Away Image Album under its original title “Ano hi no Kawa e”, Japanese for “Day of the River”.  Instant relaxation.

Doctor's Orders - Poe Tha Dah

Dr Bendel, I Presume?

Today we feature an international edition of Doctor’s Orders, as the good Dr Bendel is currently abroad, but let’s let him tell it.

“I have been in Southeast Asia for the past few weeks, working at a medical clinic in Mae Sot, Thailand, roughly 3 kilometers from the Burmese border, in a town inhabited by UN & NGO workers, drug & human traffickers, guerilla warlords, mercenaries, missionaries, monks, medics, amputees, and, of course, the people that have drawn them all here - Burmese civil war refugees, thousands of them (and hundreds of thousands in the 2 nearby refugee camps). Mostly belonging to the Karen ethnic group, they have been bravely and fiercely fighting the Burmese for over 60 years. The Karen in Thailand (and in Burma) have no rights, little education, and almost no access to health care, so the Mae Tao clinic at which I’ve been working is a true godsend for the Karen people. Most of their staff - including its Nobel Prize nominated director - are Karen refugees themselves, as is one of my close friends here in town, having spent a good portion of his twenties as a guerilla resistance fighter in the Burmese jungle.

“He's keen on video editing, and has made a variety of music video home movies of his family, complete with Karen pop music. The song featured is a reggae-ish Karen song called “Poe Tha Dah” (Little Child) and will give you a glimpse of my friend's family (he's even instructed his 2 children to call me Didi Kalawa, literally, Uncle White Guy), his single room tenement in which I've shared so many meals, seated on the floor and often eaten with our hands, and a little bit of the outskirts of town and its fields and rice paddies, where the refugees all must live. You will also see the flag of Kawthoolei, literally, "land without evil", the name of the Karen state.”

Fartbarf - Hero of Time

Yes, yes, I know.  Ignore the name.  Today we've got a track from LA's Fartbarf, a largely local act that stands to have a bright future.  Featuring analog synthesizers, adept set playing, cavemen masks, the occasional vocoder, and jumpsuits out of Devo's yard sale, Fartbarf is getting quite the reputation for their overwhelmingly lively and fun performances.  Check out their track "Hero of Time", embedded below, and keep an eye out for their debut album coming soon.

Joe Hisaishi - One Summer Day

A number of director/composer teams have gained great renown throughout film history. The films made by these pairings have become classics, much more enhanced by music that goes beyond being merely incidental and enters the collective consciousness. The collaborations of Steven Spielberg and John Williams (such as E.T. or Jurassic Park) have earned billions of dollars, delighting audiences the world over. Alfred Hitchcock and Bernard Herrmann made thrilling pictures like Psycho and North by Northwest, still highly regarded ever decades later.

More recently, the team of Hayao Miyazaki and Joe Hisaishi have brought serious attention to their animated films, a genre often considered to be lightweight, a term that the creative output of this duo is anything but. Since 1984’s Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Hisaishi has provided sweeping, truly epic scores for Miyazaki’s work with Studio Ghibli. From the waltz of Howl’s Moving Castle to the genuinely moving choral theme for Castle in the Sky, Hisaishi’s compositions add both gravitas and joy to Miyazaki’s films, aptly establishing the tone of a given scene. Take for example, the opening scene of Spirited Away, light piano notes with a gentle crescendo accompany a country drive, melancholic beauty to accompany the uncertain feelings of protagonist Chihiro as she moves far away from her hometown. We’ll feature more from Hisaishi in the near future, as all of his film scores are essential listening for soundtrack devotees. Here’s a concert clip of the composer himself, a heartfelt, solo piano rendition of “One Summer Day”, the Spirited Away intro.

Tommy Wiseau's The Room in New Haven

We’ve written about Tommy Wiseau before, and his pseudo-masterpiece The Room, but we still haven’t seen it the way its meant to, in a raucous live audience, complete with short range football and a tall glass of Scotchka. I’m literally far too excited to see one of my favorite films (it really is) along with a group of like-minded rabble-rousers. Call and response, interactive moments, and general MST3K-style riffing will be afoot at New Haven’s Criterion theater tonight and tomorrow at 11:30 PM. We’ll be there 9/23 with the crowd, giving a rousing “Oh hai!” to Wiseau’s Johnny and seeing framed pictures of spoons and shots from Full House everywhere we look. Check out a couple of my favorite The Room centered videos, featuring a call and response portion of the film, and don’t miss this hilarious interactive experience this weekend.

Waiting for October – Fall ‘011 Concert Preview

Or Freesia and Garrett... whatever.

Autumn’s here, the leaves are changing, and its times for another preview column that features a Mark Mulcahy reference but no Mark Mulcahy show. Damn. Until then, check out some of the great concerts happening around Connecticut in the next month while we wait for October.




--Hanson @ Toad's Place

Hanson is Freesia’s favorite band. That is now on the Internet. Forever. And our blog’s credibility suffers for it.

All kidding aside, Hanson had quite the successful run as the tweens’ favorite band before they had such a dominant market share, all while being everyone else’s favorite band to hate. (MMMBop went #1? Really?) While to some they may have dropped off the face of the Earth, they’ve been thriving in relative obscurity, maintaining a devoted fan base through acclaimed new releases and frequent touring. At the Hanson show I was once dragged to, one (clearly insane) woman said she is now into Hanson like she was once into the Grateful Dead, having seen both acts some umpteen times. As much as I make fun, they did put on a good show, not only playing the sugary pop rock that is their hallmark, but also showing more musical range than a casual listener might be aware of. They make their return to Toad’s Place October 8th, playing their most enduring album Middle of Nowhere in its entirety. 20-something tweens rejoice!

--Man Man @ Daniel Street (Manic Productions)

A look at Manic Productions’ upcoming schedule is almost mind-blowing. Averaging over one show a night, a plethora of outstanding acts are coming to Connecticut. For starters, there’s Yo La Tengo coming to Toad’s tomorrow, 9/23, The Lemonheads coming back to Daniel Street on 10/13, and the dynamic pairing of Surfer Blood opening for The Pixies at Waterbury’s Palace Theater 10/29. This is all not to mention Manic’s continuing free concert series Wednesday nights at BAR, due to feature Lydia Loveless, Sarah Lee Guthrie (Arlo’s daughter) & Johnny Irion, and David Wax Museum in the coming weeks.

Manic Mark has really kicked it into high gear this fall, with a ton of great talent coming through, but the show I’m most excited for is Man Man making another stop in Connecticut. We’ve talked about Man Man a great deal, having been a highlight of this year’s B.O.M.B. Fest and their new LP Life Fantastic being one of the best releases of 2011. Rounding out the bill are Manic regulars Grandchildren and M.T. Bearington, who recently played a 4/20 show at BAR. This might be the best lineup for any single show this year. Don’t miss this one – Wednesday October 12th at Daniel Street.

--Kevin Devine @ Toad's Place

Kevin Devine brings his hard-edged yet folk-tinged rock to Toad’s Place. His packed show at The Space last December was a genre-bending experience, playing songs from across his catalogue as well as a few covers. Having repeatedly sold out The Space, it will be interesting to see him in the larger venue. Will he still fill the room? Will the show stay intimate even with a larger crowd? Will this be a repeat of Daniel Johnston’s outstanding, but extremely undersold 2008 show? We’ll find out Sunday October 23rd, with An Horse opening.

Let us know in the comments if there's any must-see shows we missed.  And check us out on Facebook or on Twitter at @merrypicnic.

Fleet Foxes @ Mountain Park – Sunday 9/25

All Points West 2009 was absolutely nuts. It literally poured on the crowd for the better half of the first day, leaving Liberty State Park in New Jersey a veritable quagmire, making the next two days (which we were unable to attend) somewhere between ridiculous and unsafe. Despite the wild weather, Day One’s festivities went off without a hitch, featuring incredible performances from Vampire Weekend, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The National, and Jay-Z, but a cut above them all were Seattle folk rockers Fleet Foxes. Led by Robin Pecknold, the band played as dark clouds loomed behind the Statue of Liberty, making the scene look more like Mordor than New York City. It even seemed as though Pecknold and the gang were controlling the weather, with the winds kicking into high gear during the chorus of “Your Protector”. Hair blowing back as the rain rolled in made them look downright messianic, more akin to a band of Jesuses (or would it be Jesi?) than musicians. Pecknold even commented that he felt like a wizard on stage, quipping “Once we’re done I’m gonna ride offstage on a horse”. The strength of their recent self-titled debut, along with their weather-enhanced performance, truly made it a set for the ages.

The oft-bearded sextet is known for their intricate guitar work, tenor vocal harmonies, and a baroque, pastoral feel to their work. Their most recent LP Helplessness Blues continues what they got right on Fleet Foxes, with key additions like saxophone and 12-string guitar making the sound that much more expansive. Much like fellow folkies Bon Iver and Iron & Wine, their sound has evolved over time, which makes for a fuller, more dynamic performance, one we can’t wait to experience again. Currently on tour with indie rock act The Walkmen, we’ll be catching their stop at Holyoke’s Mountain Park this Sunday, 9/25. We’re looking forward to closing out Mountain Park’s season with some good music, good people, and good beer. Here’s hoping Magic Hat brings their Octoberfest, and here’s hoping we see you there. Check out a couple live cuts, including their All Point's West performance of "Blue Mountain Ridge" and a more recent Jools Holland performance of "Sim Sala Bim".

The Walkmen - Juveniles

While boning up for Fleet Foxes this Sunday, I’ve been listening to quite a bit of opening band The Walkmen. Here’s a recent Letterman performance of “Juveniles”, the leadoff track from their most recent LP, Lisbon. Good fun indie rock that will be a great start to an early autumn show.

De Dannan - My Irish Molly

Evoking the sounds aboard an Irish pirate ship, De Dannan crafted a uniquely fun tune in their version of “My Irish Molly”. Another cut off Pro’s Folk Sampler (see the tag for previous posts), “My Irish Molly” features accordion, fiddle, and more to create a jaunty old-fashioned dancehall song that gets in your head and stays there. De Dannan is still playing shows to this day, having played Prospect Park in Brooklyn this past summer, and here’s a live version from 1982 featuring their classic lineup.

Mates of State - Sleep The Clock Around (Belle & Sebastian cover)

I did my fair bit of complaining about Crushes (The Covers Mixtape).  I was less than thrilled about a band like Mates of State, who have so many great songs of their own, performing an entire LP of the work of others.  A couple years (and shows) later, I’m willing to admit it grew on me.  Hearing Kori and Jason put their signature sound to songs both new and old has been welcome when I’ve played “Goods (All in Your Head)” to death.  Check out a highlight of the mixtape, the classic Belle & Sebastian track “Sleep the Clock Around”, which retains the charm of the original but still has the undeniable fun of the Mates' oeuvre.

Don’t forget the free show at BAR New Haven, tonight!  Mates of State and Snake Oil.  Be there.  Here’s the event page link: http://on.fb.me/qSZFyG

Mates of State @ BAR New Haven (FREE SHOW)

The fantastic new LP Mountaintops from Mates of State dropped earlier this week (in white vinyl, no less), giving another set of infectious twee-pop tunes to their devoted fans.  To show their appreciation, they'll be playing a free show at BAR Monday night (9/19) as a warm up for their huge fall tour.  Along with CT collective Snake Oil as the opener, the audience is sure to hear finalized live versions of new Mates tracks as well as some classics (I'm still waiting for them to play their All Day EP in its entirety, but that might be a pipe dream).  Either way, we're super excited for this last minute show.  You can't go wrong with New Haven pizza, toasted blonde ale, and one of our favorite live acts.  Be sure to check out the lead-off track "Palomino" (embedded below) and www.matesofstate.com for the rest of the tour dates.  See you at BAR!

Mike Carano - Happy

On the surface, this might just be another punk tune, but the guitar interplay, driving percussion, and lyrical content of Mike Carano’s “Happy” make it anything but typical.  I’m also finding constantly humming to myself the refrain of “have you ever been so happy that it makes you cry?” or the tag at the end, "gone are the sorrows".  Check out it below, you might get hooked too.

Also, it’s worth mentioning that this is the theme music for the Loveline After Disaster, a hilarious train wreck of a podcast brought to by Anderson Cowan, Tyler White, and Mike Carano himself.  Follow them on Twitter at @AfterDisaster or download the podcast for free on iTunes.  It will be disastrous, but that just adds to the fun.