New Track Rundown

It’s time once again to dive into the vast sea of music available on the web with a new track rundown. The first track comes from garage rock mastermind Ty Segall. “Goodbye Bread” is the title track of his new album and showcases his more refined approach to songwriting which even invokes the brilliant simplicity of The Beatles. The album’s cover is featured above and I highly recommend picking it up, especially on vinyl. The warm sounds featured within are meant to be played from a turntable.

Bill Callahan Quietly Rocks Brighton Music Hall

Bill Callahan has been one of my favorite singer/songwriters since his days performing as Smog. His material under his actual name has gotten better and better culminating in his 2011 album, Apocalypse. It stands as one of the most creative and moving releases this year. There was no way that I was going to miss his performance at Brighton Music Hall in Allston, MA on July 10, 2011. It would have been really depressing if I missed the show. Usually if I’m staying home, my go-to activity is listening to Bill Callahan and Smog records on vinyl. Thankfully, I got my ticket to the sold out show in advance and was able to catch the stirring performance.

Out from the Inbox: 10 Bands That Didn’t Make Me Want to Tear Out My Eardrums

I once again combed through the musical wasteland that comprises my inbox and found a few hidden treasures. I wish PR companies actually read my blog or at least skimmed through it so they would know that I am not going to write about their shitty honky-tonk country band. Going through hundreds of emails of bands trying to get your attention inevitably sends you on an emotional roller coaster. Just when you think their is no hope for music, you get hit with something that completely amazes you. These are the 10 bands that didn’t make me want to tear out my eardrums.

Mid-Year Report

It's already July and it seems like the first half of the year went by in a flash. It's time to look back at the last six months and examine the albums that had the biggest impact on me. Narrowing the list down to 20 was harder than I thought it would be as 2011 has been an exceptionally good year for music. The year has been full of surprises both good and bad. I never could have predicted half the bands and albums that appear in the list below.

Royale Gets Fucked Up

Last time I saw Fucked Up was at the Middle East Upstairs and they put on one of the craziest shows I had ever seen. At one point, lead singer Damian “Pink Eyes” Abraham tried to hang on a pipe that was attached to the ceiling and ended up ripping in down. With such a notorious live show, you never know what’s going to happen and that’s why I made sure to catch their performance at Royale in Boston, MA on June 24, 2011. With buzzworthy openers JEFF the Brotherhood and Iceage in tow, it was one that no one should have missed.