OK Go :: This Too Shall Pass
Earl Greyhound :: Ghost And The Witness

Okay, let’s just get this part out of the way. Most people know OK Go from their videos, especially those treadmills. Any video that’s well enough known to be parodied on The Simpsons is a cultural force in itself and, checking the YouTube rating right before sitting down to write this, I was amazed to see that the number of views on the band’s YouTube page alone now stands at 47,788,229. That’s a lot. That many people and a brother who’s the Governor of Florida is pretty much enough to win you a presidential election. Add the zillions who’ve seen it elsewhere, and you might not even need the brother.

So if you’re reading these words, you’ve probably seen that video. I find even more endearing the video dance to “A Million Ways” that hundreds of Read the full story

Jesse Shepherd-Bates is sometimes very confused by the chronology of his band. “The band started in 2004. There’ve been about 12 lineups … this is the fourth, technically original, kind of lineup …started in ’04/’05 …”

“We could make you a map,” George Morris quips helpfully. Read the full story

Converge :: Dark Horse

The punk metal act Converge were formed in the winter of 1990-1991, and after several singles, compilation appearances, and the requisite growing pains, they released their first full-length effort, Halo in a Haystack, in 1994. The Boston-based quartet was initially comprised of vocalist/visual artist Jacob Bannon, guitarist Kurt Ballou, bassist Jeff Feinburg, and drummer Damon Bellorado, with second guitarist Aaron Dalbec joining in 1994 (he later left in 2001 without being replaced). Over the years, the band also found time to lend out members to various side projects, including Kingdom of the Sun, Old Man Gloom, and Kid Kilowatt (the short-lived band that also included members of Cave In).

Hydra Head issued Caring and Killing in 1996, which gathered tracks released during the band’s infancy, followed a year later by Petitioning the Empty Sky, which was released by the independent label Equal Vision. Cave In’s Stephen Brodsky replaced bassist Feinburg in 1997 as well, and by the release of 1998’s When Forever Comes Crashing, Converge had proved Read the full story

Job For A Cowboy :: Lords of Chaos

In the two short years since the release of the band’s full length debut Genesis, Job For A Cowboy (JFAC) has progressed from “the band with the different name” to one of the leading lights for heavy music in the 21st century. JFAC formed in 2003 when vocalist Jonny Davy (16 at the time) and guitarists Andrew Arcurio and Ravi Bhadriraju (each 15 at the time) joined forces. The band would soon be joined by bassist Brent Riggs and drummer Elliott Sellers and the quintet immediately began work on the material that would comprise their celebrated debut EP “DOOM”. In the months that followed, JFAC delivered “jaw-dropping” live performances that would soon earn it a legion of fans including Metal Blade Records owner and founder Brian Slagel. Slagel, the man known for releasing the first recordings by Metallica in 1982 and Read the full story

Arranged Marriage is the father and son duo of Brad and Scott Allen.   The album release show is their “coming out” party with the release of their first full length entitled “Dearly Beloved” available in vinyl and electronically via Suburban Sprawl Records.  Their sound is a mix of old and new leaning toward the singer song writers of the 60s and 70s.  They will be backed by the incredibly talented musicians from the band Big Mess (Scott’s other band) and a few special guests.

Scott has traveled the world as the energetic keyboard wizard of Thunderbirds Are Now! Brad has been gigging on and off since the 70s and owns and operates “Our Leisure Studios” in the family basement, recording several local bands.   “Dearly Beloved” is the fruit of their mutual admiration for all things Wilco, Petty, Nilsson, Beatles and Elliot Smith and it was recorded entirely at home and mastered by Dave Feeny at Tempermill Studios.

Making it a total family affair, joining Arranged Marriage on the bill is The Cold Wave which includes Scott’s Brother Ryan (TAN, Friendly Foes) and Solitary States with long time family friend Eric Weir.  A special show poster designed especially for the occasion by the local talent of Shawn Knight and Trevor Naud thru Pinky Blaster will be available.

PRESENTED BY LOCO GNOSIS: It’s fair to say Pinkeye, much like the physical condition after which this musical collective is named, may well be considered more pain than a pleasure by many music lovers. The jazz-rock ensemble has about twice as many members as Slipknot, and its albums usually include only one or two songs. The group is the very definition of self-indulgent — both proudly and gloriously. Consisting of members of other experimental bands from around town (including Red China, the Oscillating Fan Club, Duende!, Sea Turtle Restoration Project, Wildcatting, etc.), this improvisational project was born when the various musicians discovered they were all like-minded souls, at least aesthetically.
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Grindcore devotees Impending Doom present a compelling offering in the form of their new album “The Serpent Servant”. A formidable adversary in the death metal ring, the revelation in Servant is the obvious refinement that adds a somber light to the darkness Impending Doom inflict with their follow up to 2007’s “Nailed. Dead. Risen”. Their ubiquitous brand of instrumental prowess is apparent and the vocals come alive with retribution on this their second Facedown release.

Revered as one of the groups that pioneered the aggressive and abrasive mixture of death metal and hardcore that permeates the modern heavy music landscape, the South Carolina-based Through the Eyes of the Dead triumphantly return with “Skepsis,” the group’s long-awaited third full-length. Eternal road warriors, the group has already done Read the full story

What if the Flamin’ Groovies had been fronted by Debbie Harry or the Runaways’ jail-bait fatale Cherie Currie? That’s but one of several retro-hypotheses that tickle the imagination while listening to the latest entry in the ever-expanding gee-rage sweepstakes. For, like the Groovies in their mid/late ’70s prime (particularly when Dave Edmunds was producing ’em), the Fondas are brazen altar-worshipers of the sounds of yesteryear. But also like the Groovies, they turn that worship into something vital and visceral — as opposed to revivalist or overly mannered. – Fred Mills