This past year, Boston’s exceedingly eclectic Bear Language have given the public a taste of their unique brand of rock with two EPs, “The Ventriloquist” and “Bear Language.” Now, with the release of their currently untitled full-length debut on the horizon, the band will play The Red Room @ Café 939 on September 15th (along with recent Artist of the Month winner Strange Changes). Not only will the show serve as a platform for the band’s new material, it will also be the debut of a few new live members and a new light production. Listen to “The Ventriloquist” streaming below, and be on the lookout for a brand new Bear Language album coming soon. - Josh Johnson
Some things in this world are simply too beautiful and unique to invite comparison. You may be thinking of your first love, the passing of a comet, deep-fried Oreos or Britney Spears, but let me point you in the direction of Jaggery, a Boston-based musical ensemble that blurs the boundaries between genres and takes its audience on a happily delirious, and wholly unpredictable, jaunt through them all.
On November 13th Jaggery will release their latest EP “Private Violence” which was inspired by Truman Capote’s profile of notorious murderer Perry Smith in his book "In Cold Blood." Vocalist and songwriter Singer Mali puts herself in the bloody shoes of “someone who did something terrible,” weaving together songs of abuse, confusion and hopelessness in a world that doesn’t forgive mistakes. These feelings are fleshed out with art rock’s most innovative and riveting instrumentation, augmenting Mali’s soaring voice and haunting piano with delicate harp, polyrhythmic West African-inspired percussion, prepared upright bass and a viola’s rich tenor and glissando. Together they redefine modern art-rock music, shifting effortlessly from hard-boiled jazz ballads to old-world folk refrains and tortured chamber music propelled by driving drum rhythms.
Check out teaser track “No Sympathy” streaming below for a deliciously greasy preview of the killer tunes (pun definitely intended) to come! A CD release party is in the works for Boston, and a miniature tour of the Northeast will follow, so stay tuned to their website for details. If there is one show to see this year, my money is on this one. Don’t miss out! - Dean Shakked
I’m not sure that any band’s name so perfectly describes a band’s sound better than Earthquake Party!, a three-piece noise-rock outfit from Boston. “Pretty Little Hand,” off the band’s three-track “vs. Pizza” album, is the exact combination of chaos and celebration. In case you are already planning a party for the Roland Emmerich-style apocalypse happening later this year, Earthquake Party! are here to provide the soundtrack. The band will bring its high-energy sound back home with a show at the Middlesex Lounge on September 4th. Watch the video for “Pretty Little Hand” below. – Josh Johnson
Boston's Cowgill, named after lead singer and guitarist Paul Cowgill, have built up quite a following in their hometown. That following has recently expanded due to the six-piece band's first major tour, which hit Brooklyn, Chicago, and Washington DC. In addition to their extensive touring, Cowgill released their debut album, "Side One of Planted," which features five songs that show off all of the band's different influences. Read on to learn more about Cowgill's name, future albums, and the Boston music scene. And if none of that interests you, there are also masturbation jokes, so there's something for everybody.
Boston's Cowgill, named after lead singer and guitarist Paul Cowgill, have built up quite a following in their hometown. That following has recently expanded due to the six-piece band's first major tour, which hit Brooklyn, Chicago, and Washington DC. In addition to their extensive touring, Cowgill released their debut album, "Side One of Planted," which features five songs that show off all of the band's different influences. Read on to learn more about Cowgill's name, future albums, and the Boston music scene. And if none of that interests you, there are also masturbation jokes, so there's something for everybody.
Congrats on your debut release, "Side One of Planted." Has your experience as a band changed since it came out?
Ryan Rivers: Well, we now have side one of an album to share our music with people (friends, adoring fans, the world, etc.). So now there are more nodding heads in the audience. Cowgill rocks.
Leeann Hackett: Also, while we're writing this, we're getting close to finishing up our first world tour together (well...East of the Mississippi), and we've gotten a lot tighter as a band, and we've gotten to be way better friends.
The record dabbles in several genres, like folk, pop, and rock. Who are some of the band's biggest musical influences?
Joe Pess: 'Serpentine Fire'!!!
Paul Cowgill: Seriously. That song is killer. Also Stevie Wonder, The Beatles, Dave Matthews Band, Radiohead, The Head and the Heart, Marvin Gaye, and Dirty Projectors.
What made you decide to use Paul's last name as the band's name? Did you try out any other names before deciding to go down the Van Halen route?
Mike Truskowski: Yes. We tried Paul Cowgill and the Thundercats, but we thought it had too many 't's in it.
Dan Weissman: And honestly, we want to be known for our whisper as much as for our thunder. So we brainstormed over a few band meals, and nothing beat out Cowgill. It's kinda nice since it's also just two words together. Like bandwagon. Or rainbow. And decidedly NOT Cowgirl.
What's your favorite thing about the Boston/New England music scene?
Leeann: College chicks.
Paul: Rock Shop Boston
Ryan: Its penchant for sweeping generalizations mixed with a longstanding tradition of theremin playing.
Do you have any plans regarding a future release?
Paul: I'm planning on masturbating tonight-oh! You mean the album. This winter, bitches!
Mike: Yeah I think the idea is to keep releasing things as "sides" of albums for the next few. Five songs just seems like a perfect amount for people to take in at one time. And recording music is crazy expensive.
Do you have any other information you wish to share?
All: Just want to quickly put in a shameless plug for our website, where you can but our T-shirts (we wish we could wear them without being douchebags, since they're really soft and cool). And you know, that's also where you can sign up for our mailing lists, buy our music, and all that good stuff.
Like ever year, The Deli is going to give you the opportunity to play at one of its CMJ Music Marathon parties.
This time we have booked a bunch of shows in the Lower East Side and Brooklyn, and as usual we'll have stages for all major musical genres (see last year's schedule here). See flyer above for the list of venues booked this year.
We are looking to book 5 or more artists for these shows - last year we ended up booking more than 10 from the submissions!!!
To be considered, all you need to do is to apply here - good luck!
Earlier this month, Boston’s Abadabad released a new single entitled “All The Bros Say.” The guitars shimmer, the vocals float, and the entire song breezes across your ears as you desperately hold on to the last remaining month of summer. Since you’ll have this song immediately stuck in your head, Abadabad were kind enough to schedule a show August 27th at T.T. the Bear’s Place. That way you can shout “Get the hell out of my car” in unison with a group of people who also have become addicted to one of Boston’s rising bands. The band’s debut EP, “The Wild,” comes out September 11th. Stream “All The Bros Say” below. - Josh Johnson
"Words & Tricks" is the debut release from young Boston-area songwriter James Roseman. The album signifies a more than good start. Largely an acoustic pop sound, Roseman demonstrates allegiance to his role models (e.g. his Postal Service cover) and an ear for catchy melody, but his musical versatility is clear. “Words & Tricks” is an endearing, homey project with Roseman playing multiple instruments, each track delivered in an exploratory and sometimes rough-cut style. Still, as he'll be the first to tell you, it’s all about the process. I'd like to think this means we'll be hearing more from him in the future.
Interview with James Roseman - by Kristina Tortoriello
"Words & Tricks" is the debut release from young Boston-area songwriter James Roseman. The album signifies a more than good start. Largely an acoustic pop sound, Roseman demonstrates allegiance to his role models (e.g. his Postal Service cover) and an ear for catchy melody, but his musical versatility is clear. "Words & Tricks" is an endearing, homey project with Roseman playing multiple instruments, each track delivered in an exploratory and sometimes rough-cut style. Still, as he'll be the first to tell you, it's all about the process. I'd like to think this means we'll be hearing more from him in the future.
First of all, congratulations on your album "Words & Tricks!" It's a pretty cohesive project for a one-man debut. Had you been stockpiling songs for a while? Or was this a "burst of inspiration" endeavor?
Thank you very much for the congratulations, Kristina!
I had hit a slump of writing for a while and one day I sat down at my computer, set up the microphones and all equipment so that it was easily accessible (saxophones, MIDI keyboards, etc.) and told myself I couldn't get up until I had a song recorded. I started with an idea and a few hours later I'd be lost in what I was making. I started into a routine where I'd do it every day. Not every song idea was great, and some days I'd word for hours with nothing to show for it. But for me, that wasn't the point. The purpose was the process, and the musical process to me then was and always has been about a certain type of release from stress.
As and individual performer (assuming you're performing under your given name), the recording of music can become intensely personal and reflective of self - perhaps more so than with a band. Any particular anxieties/hopes approaching the album? Do you believe being young necessarily makes you more vulnerable?
Writing for a solo project is definitely a more personal experience than working on an album with a band. I've been part of a group throughout and after high school called Sababa and the types of song ideas I'd present to the group would never have been as personal or blunt as most of the tracks on the album. At the time of writing most of these songs I was going through the obligatory teenage break-up and I was angry. With nobody but myself to bounce these song ideas off of, I ended up with a much more honest type of songwriting than I had previously experienced. It's not to say the songs ended up better than with a group, but some songs definitely benefited from the personal perspective. "Things To Understand," to me, is a good example from the album of where this personal perspective goes right and strikes a nice balance, where as a track like "What Are You Waiting For" was more of something I needed to write rather than wanted to hear, if that makes sense.
You are quite the multi-instrumentalist, according to Bandcamp. So which instrument was the first love?
First instrument was cello, followed by bass and swiftly afterwards by true musical love: guitar. Along the way I've learned a few instruments like alto and baritone saxophone, which I learned in high school bands.
Having won Artist of the Month, no doubt your fan base is behind you on this. Generally, who have played the biggest supporting roles in you music career thus far?
My hometown of Swampscott is a small one, yet one of large artistic promise. It seems like most, if not all, of my friends in town are involved in music in some way or another. To break out of the Swampscott mold and do something recognized by something beyond just that small circle feels amazing, and undoubtedly I wouldn't have been able to do it without the help of all my friends and family, especially my mother who, at times, seemed to be more obsessed with the constantly shifting votes than I was!
Name one thing you look forward to doing with your summer now that this album is out, and people consider you awesome.
This summer has been filled up with the 5-Week Performing Artist program at Berklee. I'm going through the Jazz Guitar track and getting my first introduction to some difficult (for me) theory to wrap my head around. It's been heavily influencing the type of music I make and certainly making me think about where my artistic future may lie. To be honest, it makes me want to go out and play shows and write and record more! Speaking of which, I'll be playing in and around Boston this coming school year with a friend of mine I met at the 5-Week program, so (to those reading) check us out some time!
Boston folk band and recent NE Band of the Month nominee (polls open through August 17th) Tallahassee is holding a mini festival to raise money for their next album. The “Talla-Galla Fund Raiser” takes place August 17th and 18th with a Tallahassee headlining show at TT the Bear’s Place and a Tallahassee carnival at the Heartbeat Collective, respectively. So if you want to hear a follow-up to 2011’s excellent “Jealous Hands,” then you’ll find yourself right at home at the Talla-Galla this weekend. Check out the event’s trailer, and stream “Jealous Hands” below. – Josh Johnson
