Songs for Saturday

I decided to create a nice soundtrack to my weekend and figured I’d share it with my reader(s). This one has a couple of rare/hard-to-find tracks mixed in with some of the same culprits from my last mixtape. The bands who are making their second appearance are from the must-have albums released this year (The Hold Steady, Future Islands, LCD Soundsystem, and The Black Keys). I’m one of those suckers who still purchase music and I can tell you that the four aforementioned records are superb from front to back.

This compilation serves a nice soundtrack to any Saturday activity so burn it to a CD and enjoy! Don’t forget to buy these albums if you like what you hear.

Local Bands Get Dirty at Harpers Ferry

I had seen The Dirty Dishes before at Church and also in a more intimate setting with an acoustic set at The Loft. This time around I got a chance to witness them headline a gig alongside of some great local music at Harper's Ferry on June 8, 2010. It was a Tuesday and a modest crowd of people were looking to indulge in some hometown noise. The Dirty Dishes along with The Self Assembly and Grass is Green made sure to award those who ignored their work duties for the next day and the Celtics game that was currently taking place to come out and rock.

Hymn to the Immortal Mono

It's not every day that you get to see a band from Scotland or one from Japan. I got to see both when I caught Scottish indie rock band The Twilight Sad with Japanese post-rockers Mono at the Middle East on May 28, 2010. These are two bands that I have wanted to see for quite some time. They both have original, distinctive sounds and have made the cut for many of the mixtapes I've made over the years.

Hearts Race with Dr. Dog at Paradise

I had previously seen Dr. Dog four times (Langerado, John Havard's, Paradise, Middle East) and that's why I knew not to miss their performance on May 11, 2010 at Paradise Rock Club. The band released their latest album Shame, Shame earlier this year and it is one of the true standouts in 2010. I couldn't wait to hear the new material alongside their already rock solid back catalog. The performance was the first in a two night residency at Paradise and what a way to kick it off! I was lucky enough to secure a spot right up front on the left side of the stage where I was far from the infamous view-obstructing pole. Fortunately, Paradise is finally switching things up and making the pole less of a nuisance over the summer by rearranging the venue layout.

To All My Friends... Memorial Mix

You can smell it in the air; it’s mixtape season. It’s about time I deliver a new mixtape to my friends/readers. I present my Memorial Mix featuring some of my favorite tracks released so far in 2010. I had been spinning it this past Memorial Day and these tunes make for a great little mix. Note to Google, Web Sheriif, etc.: Tell me if I need to take something down! Don’t just delete my blog as was done in the past with other blogs. As the great Henry Chinaski (author character of Charles Bukowski) said: “To all my friends…”



Listen below!

No Sleeping at the Middle East

My forth show in six days, I was starting to wear down when I decided to check out For Sleeping or Jumping at the Middle East Upstairs on April 5, 2010. It was also my third in this period that took place at the Middle East. Perhaps they'll give me a room there or at least a frequent buyers card? Either way, I was still excited to see a different brand of noise at the show. Its been a while since I got to witness some music of the heavier variety but For Sleeping or Jumping aptly filled the void with their performance.

Bells and Lazers in the Middle East

I may not seem or look like the type of guy, but sometimes I crave a big dance party when I go to a show. That's exactly what I got when I caught Major Lazer at their sold out performance at the Middle East on April 4, 2010. It wasn't just any show. It was one of those rare circumstances where I liked every band on the bill so I made sure to get there on time to catch the openers. I was really hoping that the show lived up to my expectations since I didn't spend Easter with my family because of it as I traditionally do. Sorry, parents! As you'll soon read, I was not letdown.

Lights Out for Ben at Church

It was a sad occasion when Roman Traffic announced that singer Benjamin Greenville was leaving the band. He was a strong vocalist and a significant part of the music the group created. From the moment they announced his last show would be at Church, one of my favorite bar/venues in Boston, I knew I was going to be in attendance. The show was also an Animal Shirt Party with some great people/bands in attendance so it was not to be missed. On April 2, 2010, Ben took the stage one last time with his bandmates and put on a performance that was sure to leave a lasting impact. Below is the trailer for the show making sure that everyone remember to wear their animal shirts.

Japandroids Are Back in Town

It's time to catch up on my show reviews after falling waaay behind. How could I have fallen so far behind in my show reviews? I'm glad you asked. Over the period of my disappearance, my computer had a mystifying accident with some water. You're probably thinking, "What kind of idiot blogger spills water on his computer?" Well, I didn't exactly spill the water. In fact, I don't really know what happened. I woke up to the sight of water underneath my computer; something no man should ever have to witness. With no glass in sight and an apparently ruined hard drive full of potentially timeless writing such as this, I was quite baffled. The only explanation I could come up with was that my computer processed my writing and then proceeded to take its own life - but who knows, I may be speculating for ages. Onward to the reviews, the first of which is a look back at my second time witnessing the two man spectacle known as Japandroids.

If a band puts on a great performance, you will make sure to get tickets every time they come back into town. Japandroids hooked me when I saw them on October 5, 2009 at Great Scott. That show was one of the more memorable performances that I saw last year. With that said, when I heard they were bringing their anthemic garage rock to The Middle East on March 31, 2010, I had to jump on the opportunity to see them in a larger venue.

New Track Rundown

It's been awhile but that doesn't mean I haven't been keeping up with the best tracks hitting the internet. The new track rundown has been getting better with each article this year and this one is absolutely carrying on that tradition. I believe this is my biggest one yet and it stuffed with great tunes deserving of your attention. It is released just in time to enjoy for the weekend, but its primary function is to serve as the soundtrack to my workday next week.

Many of my favorite bands are finally teasing their fans with tracks from their highly anticipated upcoming releases such as The National and Blitzen Trapper. I am happy to report that these have more than lived up to any expectations I had. I also stumbled upon some new bands that I had no prior knowledge of yet I've been spinning their latest release quite a bit which is the case with Cults. The image above is from the upcoming album from The National entitled High Violet due out on May 11, 2010. Check out everything below and, as always, let me know whether you found something good or you are highly disappointed with a new track. Sorry for the rambling intro, now get to listening!