SIPPY CUP EVERYTHING

I’m in San Francisco til Sunday for Noise Pop, let’s...

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 11:52:51 -0500

I’m in San Francisco til Sunday for Noise Pop, let’s hang out.

Lower Dens “Brains” I’m a little too busy...

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 10:31:32 -0500

Lower Dens “Brains”

I’m a little too busy prepping for travels to elaborate, but Lower Dens writes the most complex simple songs. Hope that makes sense. They play Great Scott on April 29th.

Earthquake Party! is kicking off their to-chicago-and-back tour...

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 14:57:32 -0500

Earthquake Party! is kicking off their to-chicago-and-back tour a few days early with this guy: an Allston Pudding event featuring Abadabad, Skaters (a new project from Boston expats The Dead Trees!), and Krill. Oh mah god I think I see tiny sippy cups behind Uncle Sam.

Send our boys+girl down the Mass Pike with some cash: the first EqP! t-shirts are in, as well as the second edition of their vs. Pizza debut (white cassettes this time around).

Grass is Green “Riff Sibling” While Grass is Green...

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 11:40:00 -0500

Grass is Green “Riff Sibling”

While Grass is Green was busy ripping up Allston City Limits on January 4th, I found myself in serious Deja Vu Mode, as the Boston quartet’s sound reminded me of so many local bands of yore. Clickers came to mind initially because of the panned dueling guitars, but things slowed down at one point and I had images of Polaris Mine, then a bassline entered that I haven’t heard so prominent and crucial since Night Rally’s heyday. What’s even better is knowing GiG are largely unaware of these bands, unconsciously paying respects by working with the same ingredients and likely the same influences.

Ronson is Grass is Green’s third album in as many years, and “Riff Sibling” is a standout. Its big hook is coupled with a vocal delivery reminiscent of Tim Harrington or even Perry Ferrell, and like the bands they front, GiG is not afraid to inject significant groove into their punky ruckus. They make complex music, but it absolutely does not mean they want you arms-crossed and feet-planted.

Come celebrate Grass is Green’s Ronson at Great Scott on March 1st, alongside pals Arvid Noe, Speedy Ortiz, and Sneeze. Tickets are $7 in advance. Signups here.

Earthquake Party! is taking off on their first tour, click...

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 13:28:38 -0500

Earthquake Party! is taking off on their first tour, click through each date for more info. They will be armed with new t-shirts inspired by Reid Miles’ Blue Note album art, and the 2nd edition of their self-released vs. Pizza debut (white cassingles this time, limited to 100).

2/20 Boston | Great Scott w/ Abadabad, Skaters, Krill

2/23 Pittsburgh | Garfield Artworks w/ Ursa Major, Skinless Boneless

2/24 Indianapolis | The Hoosier Dome w/ So Many Dynamos

2/25 Lafayette | Grandma’s House w/ Earthgrazer, Broken Light

2/26 Chicago | Empty Bottle w/ White Mystery, Dark Fog

2/27 TBA

2/28 Cleveland | The Happy Dog w/ Cheap Clone

2/29 TBA

3/01 Rochester | Bug Jar w/ Routine Involvements, Dick Snare

3/11 New York City | Cake Shop w/ Lost Boy, Bambara, Trabajo

Landlady b/w Optometrist is Young Mammals’ first release...

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 09:14:00 -0500

Landlady b/w Optometrist is Young Mammals’ first release since their debut Carrots, an exciting peek down the road ahead. It’s out March 10th, 2012 on Bombs By Mail, and available for pre-order from YM’s bandcamp. More info on the release can be found at sippycupeverything.com/youngmammals, but take a moment to listen to the Steve Christensen-produced, Sarah Register-mastered “Landlady” above. It’s mighty.

Those in San Francisco will be able to catch the band 8pm on February 25th at Cafe du Nord, when they perform at the 20th Annual Noise Pop Festival.

Grizzly Bear :: Museum of Fine Arts Courtyard :: 08/14/2008 01...

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 14:12:55 -0500

Grizzly Bear :: Museum of Fine Arts Courtyard :: 08/14/2008

01 Cheerleader
02 Little Brother
03 Colorado
04 Service Bell
05 Knife
06 Fine For Now
07 Two Weeks
08 Lullabye
09 Shift
10 Fix It
11 On a Neck, On a Spit
12 Deep Blue Sea
13 He Hit Me (and It Felt Like a Kiss)
14 While You Wait for the Others

download ZIP of all 14 MP3s
Was sifting through my old ticket stubs over the weekend, and came across a great show that I actually have a recording of (apologies for being unable to credit the source). Grizzly Bear was opening for Radiohead this summer, and snuck in a headlining show on an offday. MFA’s Calderwood Courtyard was a beautiful setting that made for a few unexpected-but-awesome additions: the sonic wash of a helicopter flying overhead to segue “Service Bell” into “Knife”, and the growing buzz of crickets as the evening progressed (Steven even credits them for their contributions on “Shift”). This was the first time most of the us had heard “Cheerleader”, “Fine For Now”, and “Two Weeks”, and you can hear the excitement in everyone’s applause.

click-thru img to head to photo gallery of the show, courtesy of Boston Phoenix

FRIENDLY REMINDER: TONIGHT @ GREAT SCOTT

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 13:05:49 -0500

The Grammys will probably be on mute at Great Scott tonight, which is the best of both worlds, really. We’ll spin some Whitney and dance to all the bands and buy some records and cap off the weekend right. Signup here, see you there.

Robbie Robertson “Somewhere Down The Crazy...

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 12:56:29 -0500

Robbie Robertson “Somewhere Down The Crazy River”

Robbie Robertson, sir, you cannot sing. The Band was so captivating in part because three out of five band members possessed amazing and unique voices, all in a different range to ensure a beautiful blend. And you were not one of the three. Levon said your mic was off for The Last Waltz and most shows. I believe him, likely because he doesn’t need to do things like spoken word verses.

While on the topic of The Last Waltz, Martin Scorcese directed this piece of crap music video. You’ll be rewarded in the worst way if you make it to the four minute mark (not to mention the VEVO ad).

SHOW ALERT: 03/01/2012 @ GREAT SCOTT

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:18:00 -0500

Holy moly, March 1st y’all. Grass is Green is releasing Ronson and we gonna celebrate. Speedy Ortiz will join us from Northampton, and those two will be sandwiched by Allston favs Sneeze and Arvid Noe, both on the cusp of new releases. Exciting times.

Pick up tickets at Great Scott ahead of time for $7, otherwise bring $9 the day of show and then some for records. Listen to tunes here, signup here. This was a group effort, and I’m beyond stoked the way it turned out. Teamwork.

somevelvet: Bon Iver w/ The Roots. “Perth” May have been a...

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:57:43 -0500

somevelvet:

Bon Iver w/ The Roots. “Perth”

May have been a little too auto-tuned on either side for my tastes, but The Roots totally make that vocal-less bridge their own. Questlove knows.

Shout Out Louds “Sound Is The Word” A song from the...

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:13:05 -0500

Shout Out Louds “Sound Is The Word”

A song from the Stockholm band’s 2003 debut Howl Howl Gaff Gaff that was foolishly left off the international release a year and a half later. Everything about this song is perfectly simple, from the music to the message.

photo courtesy of Bradley’s Almanac, from the band’s show at The Paradise in Boston on 11/05/05

SHOW ALERT: 03/11/2012 @ CAKE SHOP

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:49:23 -0500

HEY LQQK first Sippy Cup show in NYC since CMJ. Been a fan of Cake Shop’s strange basement ever since I saw Big Bear and Pterodactyl there one fall night in 2007.

All four of these bands rule, and if you don’t buy it, stream some songs for yourself at sippycupeverything.com/120311cakeshop, then signup here when convinced.

"If we’re a city, there should be dozens and dozens of labels, and not only that, but labels..."

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:41:45 -0500

“If we’re a city, there should be dozens and dozens of labels, and not only that, but labels trying to do stuff on a national scale… There’s a real honesty to what [these bands] are doing and if I have the ability to help them in any way, regardless of what that means, I wanna do that.”

- Noah Bond of Creaturos/Primordial Sounds/Doomstar summarizes my perpetual inner-thoughts on the Boston music scene in this excellent interview Nick Curran conducted for The Phoenix last week. So much Boston music is ready for a national spotlight, has been for a while… but lately, I worry less about if it’s going to happen and wonder more about when. Feels inevitable these days.

would love to credit whoever snapped this gem and decided post...

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:11:15 -0500

would love to credit whoever snapped this gem and decided post it on the internet

Life Size Maps “Mechanical Man” I can understand if...

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:01:00 -0500

Life Size Maps “Mechanical Man”

I can understand if this gets taken the wrong way, but certain parts on Life Size Maps’ Magnifier EP remind me of Apologies-era Wolf Parade. Buzzing synths, memorable melodies coming from any instrument, songs with beginnings, middles, and ends… all the qualities I wish were retained for On Mount Zoomer and the other one are alive and well here with this Brooklyn trio. Word is they have an entirely new batch of tunes called Weird Luck coming out next Thursday, and they’re celebrating at 285 Kent in their hometown with some buds. Fingers crossed their ‘stresswave’ sound is still intact.

punkpostpunk: Ian MacKaye - “Tell your friend: FUCK...

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:55:25 -0500

punkpostpunk:

Ian MacKaye - “Tell your friend: FUCK YOU”

caffeine is cool, phew.

You Can Be a Wesley “Giants” YCBaW plays The Pill...

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:24:00 -0500

You Can Be a Wesley “Giants”

YCBaW plays The Pill tonight. This is from their Nightosphere EP, a focusing of all the excellence from their debut, Heard Like Us. Even without the $$$$$ music video, “Giants” still evokes a serious desire to gather all my friends in a room and party. I blame the soft/loud outro, which is just short enough for me to press play again. Let the record show for years to come they are the originators of the promwave genre.

Atlas Sound “Te Amo” This is from a Bowery Ballroom...

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:25:00 -0500

Atlas Sound “Te Amo”

This is from a Bowery Ballroom show that NYC Taper captured last month, part of a rad-but-brief tour to support Parallax with buds Carnivores and Frankie from Balkans opening. Listening to the whole set, it’s a shame Atlas Sound didn’t make it up to Boston. This rendition of “Te Amo” is pretty damn stunning, stretching past 11 minutes in order to build the necessary layers of arpeggiated everything. The command that Bradford Cox has on his pedals is next-level: he incorporates them into the songwriting, but never makes the pedal-pressing a gimmick.

photo by Melissa Neira

Pterodactyl “The Hole Night” Violitionist captured...

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 11:30:33 -0500

Pterodactyl “The Hole Night”

Violitionist captured Pterodactyl doing this lovely rendition of a song from their recent full-length Spills Out. I had no idea Matt sang lead on this, or that he has such a killer voice.