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!

I Remember Yeasayer at Northeastern

Odd Blood by Yeasayer has been steadily gaining more spins in my playlist as each week of 2010 passes by. The album initially gave me a feeling of disappointment but as all the best albums do, it grew on me. With songs as strong as "Ambling Alp" and "I Remember", I figured that I had to catch their live show. However, when I went to purchase tickets, I discovered that the show at the Paradise on May 3, 2010 in Boston, MA had already sold out. As fate would have it, I was granted another chance to see the band when my friend informed me that there were performing a free outdoor show at Northeastern University on Saturday, March 27, 2010.

Making Excuses

This post could easily be a list of reasons why I have been slacking on posting new material. Fortunately, I just want to post some incredible videos for The Morning Benders' song "Excuses" which is being hailed as an instant classic. The first is a truly impressive cover by two friends, Andy Fitch and Brian Russo, who perform the song with a ukulele, a trumpet, an acoustic guitar, wooden chairs, and empty bottles of Tylenol, all while singing their hearts out in an attic. There are some seriously unnecessary covers of recent songs on YouTube but this is one that puts a smile on my face and makes me glad that people do these kinds of things.

Local Spotlight On: Bearstronaut

While perusing the Stereo Typing inbox, I came upon a synth-pop band from Massachusetts called Bearstronaut and I have to say that they peaked my interest. After sampling a few songs, I found myself bobbing my head in enjoyment to the propulsive, thumbing beats. The band could easily fit the bill among other Massachusetts up-and-comers such as Passion Pit and Yes Giantess. "Pink Ladies and & Sassy Babies" was an immediate attention grabber that could find a place on your next dance party mix. "Wire", however, was the track that sold me on the group. With a pulsing beat and a grandiose wall of sound, it positions the band to standout among the rest of the synth-shredders. You can hear these tracks on their ReverbNation page.

New Track Rundown

I liked last week's New Track Rundown quite a bit. I listened to the playlist a few times at work (despite some seriously workplace-unfriendly songs) and it helped the day go by much quicker. This week's playlist, however, is miles above it. This is where some of my most anticipated albums start poking their heads out. The most significant of these is a new album by Broken Social Scene. I have been waiting for this since 2005 and I figured I would be disappointed. Thankfully, "World Sick" absolutely blew me out of the water. The song will be featured on their new album Forgiveness Rock Record which will drop on May 4, 2010 with the cover you see above. This is one record that just shot to the top of my most anticipated albums list. Additionally, I had the pleasure of hearing new songs from Fang Island, Joanna Newsom, Bonnie "Prince" Billy, and Portugal. The Man. All of these were able to meet or exceed my expectations. Let's see if they are able to do the same for you…

Dirty Southern Ribs

Unwinding after a hard day's work with a concert of mellow music is something I always appreciate so on Friday, February 26, 2010 I jumped at the opportunity to see a few great Boston bands for free. The Dirty Dishes, Southern Belle, and RIBS played together as part of Berklee College of Music's Unplugged Series. I previously spotlighted The Dirty Dishes and RIBS as two of my favorite up-and-coming bands so I was obviously excited to see both of them on this bill in an acoustic setting. The only problem was that it was at 6:00pm so I had to rush right from work to get there but I'm glad I put the effort in.