Evacuation in Case of Exploding Sound

My good friends over at Exploding in Sound are back with another entry in their consistently solid compilation series. This time around there is double the pleasure. Open Hand, who I have been waiting to hear new music from for just about forever, kick things off with “Herrons”, a delicious slab of stoner rock. The glorious "A Far Cry" from We Were Promised Jetpacks, which is a song I've ranted and raved about before, finds is way onto the compilation as well.

Mid-Year Report

I'm a month late on this mid-year report but I'm still interested in getting a discussion going. There's been some great releases out in the media world in 2010. I wanted to list all of my favorites of this year so I can take a look back and compare at the end of 2010. After all, I am a big fan of lists. I'll try to keep the rambling commentary to a minimum so without further ado, I bring you my favorite releases of 2010 so far:

Summertime Mix

This coming weekend is projected to be another gorgeous one. The hot weather in Boston has been a staunch reminder that summer is still in full swing. It's about time that I put a summertime mix out there that anyone can listen to while doing all sorts of summertime activities or perhaps just lounging around. I have a couple of my all time favorites in this one (Manic Street Preachers, Jane's Addiction, The Flaming Lips, Thursday, American Football) and some new ones released this year which I thought are great examples of rising bands who have written excellent summer anthems.

Like any good mixtape, it flows effortlessly from track to track and even seems to have a running narrative from the desire to enjoy the Summertime to lamenting in its passing. I didn't include a Beach Boys song because that just seemed too easy. Although without one this does lean towards something that could be called 'A Hipster Summer'. Also not on the list are Mungo Jerry's "In the Summertime" or The Lovin' Spoonful's "Summer in the City". These are also obvious picks and wouldn't fit in with the flow of the mixtape. They are still incredible songs so go listen to them now! After you're done with that, give the mixtape below a spin...

Wolf Parade Comes Through the House of Blues

I’ve written many times on this blog about my admiration for both Spencer Krug and Dan Boeckner’s projects. It should go without saying that I am a huge fan of Wolf Parade. They have written three amazing albums and one of my favorite songs of all time in “I’ll Believe in Anything”. Their debut Apologies to the Queen Mary, produced by Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse, is one of the most highly lauded albums of the past decade. I was initially disappointed with their second album, At Mount Zoomer; however, when I was going over my dream set list, I realized that I had chosen more than half of that album. With “Fine Young Cannibals” from the aforementioned album being the song I said I wanted to hear the most.

In 2010, Wolf Parade has returned with their third and perhaps best album, Expo 86. This is a record that is sure to be on my, as well as several others’, best-of-the-year lists. I can’t stress enough the power and maturity displayed within the album’s robust 55+ minutes. Having followed this band for so long, it’s amazing that I haven’t seen them live yet but I could not be more excited since they are touring off such a great record. On July 12, 2010, I finally had the chance to see one of my favorite bands and in the next few paragraphs I will explain why you should make sure to see them if you have the opportunity.

I Must Dance Alone at TT The Bear’s

I first got to know about MiniBoone when I reviewed their debut EP Big Changes for DecoyMusic.com. They quickly became one of my favorite bands that I discovered this year and I’ve been spinning tracks like “Summer Jam” and “Rosalina Must Dance Alone” endlessly. The first time they came to town earlier this year, I was sick and, despite my best efforts, I couldn’t make it out to see them. I made sure that I dragged myself to the show on Sunday, July 11, 2010 despite an exceptionally raucous weekend. Let’s just say if you ever think about taking a last minute trip to New York City and the thought crosses your mind that “this is probably a bad idea”, go with that instinct.

Girlfriends bring Doomstar! to Great Scott

I’m all about discovering new local bands. Boston has a vibrant music scene as full as any other city in the country with bands about to blow up. Catching shows for up-and-coming bands is a great way to discover the music that's steadily gaining buzz plus it’s also a cheap way to have a great night out. On July 1, 2010, I seized the opportunity to see two of Boston’s most promising newcomers: Doomstar! and Girlfriends. The show was to celebrate the release of Girlfriends’ Gov't Seizure 7" single and to sendoff the group since they are about to embark on a big US tour.

Depreciation Occurs at Great Scott

The Pill at Great Scott is consistently awarded Best Dance Night by the Boston Phoenix. I hadn’t checked it out but when I heard that The Depreciation Guild was stopping by to play a set on June 25, 2010, I figured it was as good a time as ever. Their latest release, Spirit Youth, has been in heavy rotation for me and features one of my favorite songs to come out this year, "My Chariot".  Its chiptunes-meets-shoegaze style is something very refreshing in 2010. However, a red flag should have come up when I found out a shoegaze band was playing a dance night.

For Your HEALTH

For the longest time, I kept saying that I would never join Twitter. Well here I am 500+ tweets later and I'm totally addicted. So what finally got me to crack and create an account? Free stuff of course! I noticed that my friends kept winning free food, tickets, etc. I decided that I need to get in on this racket and lo and behold, I immediately started reaping the benefits. I've received free cds and tickets but nothing as sweet as winning a chance to see HEALTH on June 19, 2010 at Great Scott. A big thanks goes out to the great people at CitySearch Boston where I won the tickets for answering the question, "Why do you dance?" My answer? "I dance because its an uncontrollable and compulsive cathartic release."

Frog Eyes See The Middle East

Frog Eyes are one of those bands I've always wanted to see live but I never got around to it. I've praised Carey Mercer's manic delivery endlessly and their guitar tones are among the best in indie rock today. Their latest release, Paul's Tomb, shows that they are only gaining strength with age. The record spins with a consistent intensity that begins with a 9-minute sonic wave of guitars and refreshingly dynamic songwriting. On June 18, 2010, I took my chance to see if this translated to the stage when I caught them with up-and-comers Beach Fossils at the Middle East.

Thirsty Thursday Mixtape

My mind has been mush lately. I've been busy with work as well as other things and I have fallen behind on show reviews for the last five concerts I attended. Worst of all, I have been struggling with what some describe as the 'writer's block'. What does that mean for you, the unfortunately web browser, who stumbled upon this posting? It means a mixtape!

This one starts off fast, gets crazy, and mellows out at the end. It's the perfect soundtrack to those Thursday nights that you wish you didn't have come Friday morning. Reoccurring artists from my other mixes such as Unkle, Broken Social Scene, Wolf Parade, Foals, and Retribution Gospel Choir are the albums you should be running out to get right now. Others include impressive tunes from bands that I have seen recently such as HEALTH and The Depreciation Guild. I should have reviews up for those sometime soon. After all, this blog is basically a concert journal. Grab a drink and listen below!