New Highway Hymnal, Speedy Ortiz, Kestrels, Soccer Mom | Radio | 8 March

Allston Pudding has partnered with Kevin Hoskins' Rogue booking concern to make a strong move into the 02143 Friday night via a dome-denting bill at Radio in Union Square top-lined by Boston psych-punk luminaries The New Highway Hymnal. The evening commences with a performance by Soccer Mom, an act for which Clicky Clicky readers need no introduction. Assuming the building remains habitable after that opening set, Canadian indie-punk trio Kestrels -- the pride of Halifax, Nova Scotia -- will perform should-be-hits from its tremendous 2012 long-player A Ghost History (Sonic Unyon). Although we'd be happy if they just played "Brindle," a mid-album cut from that sophomore collection, over and over and over. As it turns out, Friday night is not only the first date of New Highway Hymnal's tour, but also Kestrels' own early spring perambulation. Indeed, the Canadians play with Soccer Mom once again in New York on Sunday, and on Tuesday night with Clicky Clicky faves Golden Gurls in Baltimore, before drawing a bead on Austin and the annual SXSW music, tech and blah blah blah confab.

Rounding out Friday's bill is Speedy Ortiz, the rapidly rising and itinerant quartet who spend so much time in Boston-area clubs it is almost ridiculous that they are based out of Northampton. Almost. As it happens, Speedy Ortiz's show is the first of seven it will perform this month, and next month the quartet heads off to MacRock in Harrisonburg, VA, a show that is but one of about a dozen contemplated April live dates -- and then hopefully the band will get around to releasing its hotly anticipated debut long-player. Based on all this touring it would seem the indie rock business is booming, and of course we couldn't be more pleased. The Hymnal are coming off their selection earlier this week for the annual Rock 'n' Roll Rumble, a decades-old battle of the bands dealy here in Boston, and earlier tonight the trio recorded a live radio session for WMBR's legendary Pipeline! radio program. We know: all of the above was a lot of information for you to deal with all at once. So here's the important takeaway: get your bad self to Radio Friday night. It's the right thing to do, and the right way to do it. Here's the Facebook event; now how about some songs?

Stream / download The New Highway Hymnal live on Pipeline! right here.