No, Thank YOU: Exploding In Sound Commemorates Protracted Awesomeness With Long Weekend Of Shows In Boston, That Other Place

Anyone with a passing interest in this publication probably has some understanding as to the awesome might of Brooklyn's Exploding In Sound Records. Originally a Boston-based concern, the Empire State label powerhouse is home to arguably the greatest active roster in indie rock, a kudo likely to be burnished further by the recent signings of DC's elastic slowcore trio Swings and extremely curious New York indie four Palm. History lessons aside, the folks over at EIS do it good, and they do it righteously, which is definitely something worth celebrating. And what better way to do so than with a long weekend of shit-hot rock shows across two states, a couple cities and a half-dozen venues? To sweeten the deal, said rock shows are not only highlighting the formidable EIS stable, but also bring under the big tent certain extended and notable family and friends. The festivities are already underway this evening at Baby's All Right in Brooklyn, with the traveling circus not hitting Boston until Saturday. Below we look under the hood of those local bills, running down the sights and sounds of what's being called The Exploding In Sound Presents: "Thank You For Being A Friend" Extended Weekend. So read the good news and spread it wide, readers.

SATURDAY AUGUST 22nd | The Sinclair | Cambridge, MA | All Ages
Palehound, Stove, LVL UP, Big Ups, Krill

The first night of the Boston leg of the extended weekend takes place at what we believe is the biggest venue in the series, Harvard Square's opulent The Sinclair. Although our proposed review got somewhat lost in the shuffle of paperwork, music work, and real work, Palehound’s stunning debut LP Dry Food may very well be Boston's record of the year. An eight-song collection of inventive lyrical, and musical twists and turns, Ellen Kempner and co.'s work stands strong among her labelmates and neighbors, and -- as proven by last Sunday’s opening slot at the Royale -- Palehound proves to be an increasingly formidable live act as well, and we expect their time on stage Saturday will be particularly memorable. Also playing the big, big rock show Saturday is Steve Hartlett’s post-Ovlov (RIP) project Stove, which we gathered last time they were in town also includes other members, both former or otherwise, from hit-makers like Ovlov (duh), Sneeze, Bedroom Eyes, Kal Marks, and Big Mess. We promise we will die happy the day we get to see Stove play the Lemonheads classic "Stove" live, so, you know, keep an eye on us. New Yorkers LVL UP and Big Ups are also on the agenda for Saturday, and both groups have wowed us in the past with their live presentments. Clicky Clicky faves Krill plays last, most likely to little or no fanfare wink wink nudge nudge. Tickets and other info can be found right here.





SUNDAY AUGUST 23RD (Afternoon) | O’Brien’s Pub | Allston, MA | 18+
Coaches, Great Deceivers, Zula, Lady Bones, Swings, Washer, Vundabar

Sunday's slate on the far side of the river features not one, but two stacked rock shows in Allston at two of the city's most popular rock halls. The afternoon plays host to an eclectic bill featuring the talents of some out-of-town friends, some city-bred rising talent, and some new-comers to the fold. Vundabar's set is sure to stand out, as its recently self-released sophomore LP Gawk is chock-full of weird, slippery instrumental turns and expertly crafted phrases. The record is a huge leap beyond their still-pretty-great debut Antics. Other performers toiling in the daylight hours include local noisy rock outfit Lady Bones, formerly local heirs to Boston's shoegaze throne Coaches (whose likely forthcoming EP is like whoa, and whose drum stool for the afternoon we believe will be occupied by Infinity Girl's Sebastian Modak), New Yorkers Washer and Zula, Chicago-based math-punks Great Deceivers and the aforementioned jazzy DC slowcore heroes Swings. We’re given to understand there will be free pizza for those who show early. We repeat: FREE PIZZA. As if all the great rock sounds we’re enough incentive to roll out of bed around noon. Tickets and other info can be found right here.





SUNDAY AUGUST 23RD (Night) | Great Scott | Allston, MA | 18+
Bunny's A Swine, Leapling, Gnarwhal, Kal Marks, Pile

The finale of Sunday's double-header marks what we believe is the Boston debut of New York's Leapling, whose EIS debut Vacant Page caught the attention of our own Edward Charlton a ways back. The set presented a breezier, reverb-ier affair than we're generally used to from the Exploding camp, and yet another winner in a year full of unreasonably great records from the label. It is one that most definitely has us primed for a proper introduction to the indie pop group. Sunday night also boasts the talents of Nashville math-rock duo Gnarwhal and long-running Northampton fuzz-rock crew Bunny's A Swine. Eternal Clicky Clicky faves Kal Marks (!!!!!!!!!!) and the kings of the Boston underground Pile will bat cleanup at the joint, which presumably will be the final gig ever to take place at America's Living Room (a/k/a Great Scott) after the stage inevitably succumbs to all the heavy rock power. Tickets and other info can be found here. -- Dillon Riley

Review: Ava Luna | Infinite House

For the uninitiated considering the group on proverbial paper (is paper still a thing?), Ava Luna should never work. The Brooklyn quintet's principal songwriters have distinctly different approaches to the band's singular, malleable sound! Their most distinctive sonic influences are R&B and soul music, yet they tour primarily with indie rock troupes! Their bass player keeps a robust tour diary centered on the food they eat on the road! Madness! But the band's air-tight and mesmerizing live shows and catalog of next-level recordings -- including last year's dynamite platter Electric Balloon and now Infinite House, a new collection released this week -- are proof-positive that Ava Luna's music is no haphazard, teetering house of cards.

Ava Luna excels at balancing a fluid and grooved sensibility with the noisier, more angular sounds band principals Julian Fader and Carlos Hernandez routinely commit to tape for acts like Grass Is Green, Krill and Palehound whilst working their day-ish gigs engineering sessions at Brooklyn's Gravesend Recordings. Readers will recall we fell hard for the aforementioned and transcendent Electric Balloon [review], and were particularly struck by the nervy and boundless energy of its first side. That the band has turned around a new record as accomplished and unconstrained as Infinite House in a year is a testament to the powerful fecundity of Ava Luna. To our delight and surprise, Infinite House willingly subverts even the expectations created by the prior record, stretching the band's rubbery aesthetic across eleven tracks that subsume influences as disparate as dub ("Victoria") and house music ("Company").

While its horizons are more expansive and the no-wave and punk undertones of last year's excellent record are smoothed over, Infinite House is no less engaging and beguiling. Where Electric Balloon erupted out of the gate with "Daydream," a whirlwind art-funk number that's probably the band's most pronounced Talking Heads homage, Infinite House commences with the thrillingly unhinged and aforementioned "Company." The at-times cacophonous tune proffers pulsing, synth-led verses that nod in the direction of Stereolab or even Lali Puna, but willfully decomposes in a series of thuds during the smile-inducing chorus. "Tenderize" ups the funk with plucky bass notes that spangle a wash of guitar chords; the groove slowly unwinds in the tune's final minute in a thoughtful instrumental passage that exudes patience and confidence. The word-jazz, beat bouillabaisse "Steve Polyester" follows, echoes the vibe of classic work by Ken Nordine, and is easily Ava Luna's strangest, most alluring recording to date (a terrific, animated video for the tune was released this week and you can see it here). "Coat of Shellac" -- Felicia Douglas' star turn on the LP which you can stream below along with two other tunes -- is the set's catchiest composition, despite subdued verses held aloft by barely-there guitars and one hell of a bass line.

Infinite House is out now via Western Vinyl, and you can purchase a copy of the collection on LP or CD right here. The band embarks on a protracted tour today, which includes a stop on at O'Brien's in Boston's Allston Rock City Saturday; we've included all of the tour dates below. It is also well worth noting that Mr. Fader recently released to the wilds of the Internerds via Bandcamp a very lively and creative solo collection under the nomme de guerre Um Are; the set is called Child Prodigy and we highly recommend acquiring the paywhutchalike collection right here. -- Dillon Riley and Jay Breitling

Ava Luna: Bandcamp | Facebook | Internerds







04.24 -- Durham, NH -- Wildcat Den
04.25 -- Boston, MA -- O'Briens
04.26 -- New Paltz, NY -- SUNY New Paltz
04.28 -- Philadelphia, PA -- The Pharmacy
04.29 -- Baltimore, MD -- Metro Gallery
04.30 -- Washington, D.C. -- Comet Ping Pong
05.01 -- Richmond, VA -- Gallery5
05.02 -- Raleigh, NC -- Kings
05.03 -- Columbia, SC -- Brookland Tavern
05.04 -- Charleston, SC -- Royal American
05.05 -- Atlanta, GA -- 529
05.06 -- Savannah, GA -- Hangfire
05.07 -- Tallahassee, FL -- All Saints
05.08 -- New Orleans -- One Eyed Jacks
05.09 -- Houston, TX -- Walter's
05.11 -- Tucson, AZ -- Club Congress
05.13 -- Indio, CA -- Coachella Valley Art Scene
05.14 -- San Diego, CA -- Soda Bar
05.16 -- Los Angeles CA -- Pehrspace
05.17 -- Santa Barbara, CA -- Funzone
05.18 -- TBA
05.20 -- San Francisco, CA -- Brick & Mortar Music Hall
05.21 -- Oakland, CA -- 1-2-3-4 Go Records
05.22 -- Portland, OR -- Bunk Bar
05.23 -- Seattle, WA -- Cairo
05.24 -- Olympia, WA -- Obsidian
05.26 -- Boise, ID -- Neurolux
05.27 -- Salt Lake City, UT -- TBA
05.28 -- Denver, CO -- Leon Gallery
05.29 -- Lincoln, NE -- 2SMOOV
05.30 -- Chicago, IL -- Observatory
05.31 -- Detroit, MI -- New Dodge
06.01 -- Milwaukee, WI -- The Villa Terrace
06.02 -- Indianapolis, IN -- Joyful Noise
06.03 -- Knoxville, TN -- Pilot Light
06.04 -- Cincinnati, OH -- The Woodward
06.05 -- Columbus, OH -- Double Happiness

Idiot Genes, Chandos, Flat Swamp, Strange Mangers | O'Brien's Pub | 7 June

Is this the last show flyer you'll see that refers to Boston anxiety-pop heroes Chandeliers by that name? Maybe! Attentive fans likely saw the threesome announce a name change late last month, and know that henceforth the act will be called Chandos (look, we already put it in the headline). We'll leave it to you to speculate for yourselves why a band might make that kind of change, although if you've ever googled them you've already figured the easy part of it out. And, really, it's what's on the inside that counts, right gang? Whether their amps have "Chandeliers" or "Chandos" stenciled on there matters little; it's the trio's characteristic jittery jangle that puts the proverbial asses in the figurative seats. Which is hopefully where they'll find you tomorrow night, specifically at O'Brien's Pub in Allston Rock City. There Chandos anchors a ridiculous evening of aural entertainment that also includes fuzz-faces Idiot Genes -- one of the first signings to the new Eye Design Records label -- as well as candied-punk purveyors Flat Swamp and the more progressive, twinkly indie rock of Strange Mangers.

While Chandos and Idiot Genes have been known quantities to us for years -- we last wrote about Idiot Genes here in November, and our coverage of Chandos goes back to 2010, as we said here -- Flat Swamp and Strange Mangers had not yet traversed our ear canals until early this week. We're happy to report both make rock sounds we like. We're particularly interested in Flat Swamp, which features Ovlov drummer Theo Hartlett on the guitar and sing-sing and also counts among its number Grass Is Green drummer Jesse Weiss. You read that right: this band, which is very good and wears its Weezer influence right there on its collective, comically oversized novelty sleeve, has two key players that are also drummers. It kind of takes some air out of all of those old hackneyed drummer jokes, yeah? Maybe they can get Dave Grohl on their next record... In the meantime, we certainly recommend you check out their cassette El Jefe/Nicolas Cage Match, which was released a year ago by Midnight Werewolf, and which contains lotsa windows-down-driving-fast-shouting-along-fist-pumping anthems. You like those, right? Indeed, every act on the bill tomorrow night has something hot for you to hear, so spend some time now with the links below, put on your socially acceptable pants tomorrow, and come check out the show with us tomorrow night. Full details are at this Facebook event page. Support the spleen.

Review: Grass Is Green | Vacation Vinny

There's a line in the 1984 baseball flick "The Natural" where assistant coach Red Blow says of spaghetti, "Can't spell it, but it eats pretty good, don't it?" Something similar could be said of the music propounded by Boston math-punk behemoth Grass Is Green. The act's first three releases collect about 30 good-to-great-to-unfuckingbelievable tunes, but this reviewer can't tell you what a single one is about. That's no knock against the mighty quartet: their musical derring-do is routinely more thrilling than it is confusing, and confusion is simply endemic to Grass Is Green's songwriting. Fans will be pleased to find the act remains true to its characteristically manic style on Vacation Vinny, their fourth long player and second for white-hot Brooklyn label Exploding In Sound.

A Grass Is Green song rarely plots a linear course. Instead, off-kilter blasts of feedback and clattering drums typically burst out from compressed pauses, songs that barely eclipse the three-minute mark often employ just as many time signatures. Lyrically, the band continues to be exuberantly unrestrained. Turns-of-phrase dart out like malevolent desk drawers, and they typically scan like disparate thoughts, random data, ingredients labels. It's a well-reasoned approach that mirrors the foursome's agitated instrumentals.

While sonically there is much that fans will find familiar about Vacation Vinny, its music is presented on a grander scale. Call it an indie rock upgrade from standard resolution to HD, albeit not in the sense of heightened production quality (Grass Is Green's prior recording, Ronson, still sounds sweet to these ears). It's more an issue of increased potency. The whipsaw turnarounds approach vertigo-inducing levels of vim, the rhythms rock even more crisply, the guitars run tighter circles around one another, and the melodies are inescapable. The record's opening triad -- the slow-burning "Sammy So-Sick" through the grungey "Big Dog Tee Shirt Birthday Weekend" -- is arguably the band's strongest run to date in terms of songs AND song titles. Vacation Vinny is a legend-making record.

The band is presently touring with BFFs Speedy Ortiz; the remaining dates, as well as others already on the docket, are listed below. These additional engagements include a release show at the Elks Lodge in Cambridge, MA, Jan. 25, a bill that also offers Boston sludge-peddlers Trespasser and EIS labelmates Krill, Ovlov and Palehound (info here). In the meantime, order Vacation Vinny vinyl (a limited number of which is pressed to "beer-colored" media) right here. -- Dillon Riley

Grass Is Green: Facebook | Bandcamp





ON TOUR w/ Speedy Ortiz:

01.13 -- Birmingham, AL -- Seasick Records
01.14 -- Nashville, TN -- The Stone Fox
01.15 -- Asheville, NC -- Toy Boat
01.16 -- Charlottesville, VA -- Tea Bazaar
01.17 -- Washington, DC -- The Dougout
01.18 -- New Brunswick, NJ -- Cooler Ranch

THEN:

01.25 -- Cambridge, MA -- Elks Lodge (w/ Ovlov, Krill, Palehound and Trespasser)
01.31 -- Brooklyn, NY -- Silent Barn (w/ Frankie Cosmos and more)
02.06 -- Portsmouth, NH -- Red Door
02.21 -- Allston, MA -- O'Brien's Pub

PREVIOUS GRASS IS GREEN COVERAGE:
Today's Hotness: Dec. 2013
Today's Hotness: Feb. 2012
Today's Hotness: April 2011

Today's Hotness: Grass Is Green, Porches., LVL UP, Eugene Quell

The last time Boston-based progressive indie goliath Grass Is Green graced these electronic pages they were party to the epic local release show in July for Speedy Ortiz' year-defining Major Arcana. Now the dome-crushing quartet is back with a new long-player of its own, due next month. The set, Grass Is Green's fourth, is titled Vacation Vinny, and believe you us it is massive and formidable [review pending]. The set was recorded in September with Julian Fader and Carlos Hernandez at The Silent Barn; that's the same team behind Krill's Lucky Leaves and a flotilla of additional compelling now sounds. Ahead of its release via the mighty Exploding In Sound, Grass Is Green has loosed to the wilds of the Internerds a single, "Vacation 2.0." The song is a sure-fire crowd-pleaser, rife with stop-start dynamics and crisp, brittle guitars. The foursome whips through multiple time signatures during the brisk, three-minute blast without ever losing control of the song's central melody. "Vacation 2.0" is a dizzying bit of math-punk that comfortably packs enough ideas for four different songs despite its short running time. Stream the song via the Soundcloud embed below, and then hit this link to pre-order the full-length. Vacation Vinny will be released Jan. 14 as an LP or download, by which time Grass Is Green will already be out on its first tour of 2014 along with the aforementioned Speedy Ortiz (all confirmed dates and TBAs are listed below the embed, for you pre-planning party people). A local release show for Vacation Vinny is slated for Jan. 25 at the Cambridge Elks Lodge, with an absolutely insane bill featuring Krill, Ovlov, Palehound and Trespasser. -- Dillon Riley



01.03 -- New Haven, CT
01.04 -- Philadelphia, PA -- The Keystone
01.05 -- Baltimore, MD -- Floristree
01.06 -- Richmond, VA -- Strange Matter
01.07 -- Chapel Hill, NC -- Local 506
01.08 -- Columbia, SC
01.09 -- Jacksonville, FL
01.10 -- Tampa, FL
01.11 -- Tallahassee, FL -- Office Lounge
01.12 -- Atlanta, GA -- Capsule Gallery
01.13 -- Birmingham, AL --The Forge
01.14 -- Nashville, TN --The Stone Fox
01.15 -- Knoxville, TN
01.16 -- Charlottesville, VA --Tea Bar
01.17 -- Washington, DC
01.18 -- Northampton, MA

>> We've spent a significant amount of time of late grooving to the recent split from Porches. and LVL UP. Fans of both know the acts are fixtures in the New York DIY scene, the former having released their debut long player Slow Dance In The Cosmos via Exploding In Sound earlier this year, and the latter recently wrapping dates with Clicky Clicky faves Little Big League and Pile. As fate would have it, Porches. and LVL UP are on very friendly terms, a dividend of which was the release last week of a very enjoyable split 7" on the Birdtapes label. Porches. owns the A-Side, delivering a smoldering bit of downer folk with "Strapping Young Weirdos" alongside "Townie Blunt Guts," a bouncing ode to the depressing reality of a lifetime spent in one's hometown. Fronter Aaron Maine is an excellent storyteller, which makes it easy to root for the suspect characters that populate his perma-bummed tunes. LVL UP, who rule the flip, get compared to early Weezer with some regularity. While the act certainly packs pop hooks into its guitar sludge, LVL UP excel when they keep things short and sloppy -- call it self-editing by proxy, something Weezer has long since forgotten in their race to the bottom of painful self-parody. LVL UP's second cut on the single, "Bad Blood," is probably their best song to date, so this split (released Nov. 26) is a crucial listen. You can pick up the vinyl here, or download the tracks over here right now. -- Dillon Riley



>> And what turns out to be our third and final bit of Exploding In Sound related news for Today's Hotness: the debut single from fuzz-rock newcomer Eugene Quell. A preview of a soon-to-be-released and apparently eponymous debut EP from Mr. Quell, the song "Weird Purr" was our formal introduction to the man; according to his Bandcamp outpost Quell has been banging around the UK indie scene for two decades. Despite the deep UK roots, "Weird Purr" proclaims a distinct American influence, as certain elements of the tune echo early Modest Mouse and Pixies. Indeed, with its slick acoustic intro and insistent rhythm, the track wouldn't be too far out of place on The Bends, easily Radiohead's most American-sounding record. Even so, Eugene Quell (knowingly or not) distinguishes his work from that of the aforementioned monsters of indie rock. Layers of distorted guitar pile up and fade out within seconds of entering the mix, burning in breaks that hint at a cathartic release that never quite transpires. The song is all build with no clear-cut pay-off, making for an arresting introduction to a project we will have our collective ears attuned to in the coming months. Eugene Otto Quell is set to be released as a free download New Years Day via Sonic Anhedonic and Exploding In Sound right here. Stream "Weird Purr" via the Soundcloud embed below. -- Dillon Riley

Speedy Ortiz's Major Arcana Release Show With Grass Is Green, Vegans, Kal Marks | Great Scott | 6 July



It's a weird week with a Thursday-shaped hole in it, or maybe a giant leisure chasm, if you are among those fortunate to have Friday off work/school/life. At the far end of said chasm we think the living will be a touch strange and electric, as we will finally all exist in a world where one can possess Major Arcana, which to date seems to have been the most-talked-about record of 2013. Speedy Ortiz's pre-release singles have come at regular intervals to keep the chins wagging (ploing! blaam! pizzow!) for the last couple months, but today the whole enchilada dropped in the form of an album stream via NPR's First Listen platform (the true album release, as in the day we expect Carpark will have the record in stores for you to purchase it, is a week from tomorrow). If you haven't spent any time with Major Arcana yet, well, stop what you are doing and get in there, because we expect the talk is only going to increase, as the Western Mass.-based quartet's debut full-length is as strong as they come. We'll have a lot more to say on the subject next week here and in the electronic pages of Vanyaland, which will run our review.

For now let's concentrate on the brilliant spectacle that will be Saturday's Boston release show. For the occasion, Speedy O-dawg has enlisted progressive post-hardcore wunderkinds Grass Is Green, who slay on the regular and have had their share of digital ink-facsimile in the Clicky Clicky, and who also played the release show for Speedy Ortiz's widely heralded Sports EP in May 2012, which we guess makes Grass Is Green a bit of a lucky rabbit's foot for Speedy? Also on the bill this Saturday are Vegans and Kal Marks. Full event details are at this Facebook event page right here; readers in New York would do well to see Speedy Ortiz not Saturday but rather Friday night, when it fetes the release of the LP at Death By Audio in Brooklyn with support from BFFs Roomrunner (who we recently wrote about here), Californiax, No One and the Somebodies and The Sediment Club. That's a whole lot of rock music; you'd do well to get your inoculations up to date before the week is out. Speedy Ortiz will embark on an exhaustive/exhausting five-week tour July 9; they are very likely coming to your town to do the Speedy Ortiz curse to your favorite DIY space, so check out the tour dates posted here and warn your indie rockers. Finally, there will be at least one "music" "video" coming along in the coming weeks, so keep an eye out.

Today's Hotness: Two Inch Astronaut, Hausu, Hisoft



>> If you are getting a strong DeSoto Records or Dischord vibe off of trio Two Inch Astronaut, well, that's little surprise. The act hails from Colesville, Maryland, a burg situated just north of the beltway that rings the district. On its forthcoming sophomore LP Bad Brother, Two Inch Astronaut proffer a fresh iteration of the '90s post-hardcore anthemics championed by acts such as Jawbox and Shudder To Think. The nine-song set from the self-described "stealthy dark goofy post-punk" threesome touts sophisticated, angular compositions that splay out into massive crescendoes or subdued creaking grooves. "Spank Jail," the second track on Bad Brother, illustrates Two Inch Astronaut's well-developed penchant for speed, intricate grooves, aggression and (just enough) melody, but the rest of the record reveals that the threesome ably works in myriad tempos and shadings. What is consistent throughout is a beautiful desperation and relatable unease, things that made records like Jawbox's For Your Own Special Sweetheart or even Hurl's brilliant DeSoto single "Positronic Ray" b/w "Radishes" remarkable every time you listened. Opener "Swol" -- an excellent rocker that seems one or two genetic mutations away from a composition by remarkable Boston labelmates Pile -- and the blissfully syncopated mid-album cut "Blood From A Loyal Hound" are available now for free download via Bandcamp and you should go grab those right now. However, Clicky Clicky is particularly taken with the emotional, monolithic rocker "Sternum." Exploding In Sound has kindly agreed to let us offer an exclusive stream of the track, so hit the Soundcloud embed below and then hold on to your hat. The label will release Bad Brother June 18. The set is available for pre-order from the band's Bandcamp right here as a digital download or 45RPM 12" LP. The vinyl is available in a limited edition of 250 pieces, and the first 100 sold have been pressed to translucent purple vinyl. Two Inch Astronaut's most recent prior release was a split single with Boston's angular-rock juggernaut Grass Is Green, the cringe-inducingly titled "Split Dicks," last September. Those two bands will reunite in the physical plane June 12, when they, along with Crinkle Face and Hive Bent, perform at O'Brien's in Allston Rock City. In the meantime, have a listen to "Sternum" via the embed below, and get pumped.



>> Hopping to the left coast, today we also concern ourselves with Portland, Oregon's melodic indie-punk quartet Hausu. The act is preparing for a huge summer tour and the late June release of its debut LP, Total. A preview track from the set, "Leaning Mess" (a play on the word "meaningless," maybe?) leads with clean melody lines and bright jangle but ultimately harder post-punk dynamics cast long, moody shadows across the composition. Lyrically, fronter Ben Friars-Funkhouser presents the sort of opaque romanticism of Ian Curtis and Joy Division, albeit with a delivery that accounts for the rise and (arguably for some, we suppose) the fall of hardcore punk music. It is Hausu's vivid, visceral instrumental performance on "Leaning Mess" that will hold listeners' close attention, as the band veers from more conventional verses into discordant passages that flirt with sonic white-outs, urged on notably by an increasingly unhinged Friars-Funkhouser in the song's final minute. Total is being issued June 25 on cassette by Bridgetown Records, and on CD by Hardly Art; no pre-order information for the latter is available as yet, but a recent Facebook post from Hausu states it is in receipt of the cassettes and expects to have them on offer when it launches an ambitious, exhaustive five-week North American tour this week. The quartet play a relatively local live date June 18, when the act performs at renowned Easthampton, Mass. art space The Flywheel on an all-ages bill that also includes Harmoos, Lovebird, Tender Cruncher and Abortus Fever. Make a note of the live date nearest you, as we suspect after several listens to the embed of "Leaning Mess" below you'll be thinking this is a quartet you need to see.



>> Sure, there are a great many things that the world can use a lot more of, but if you ask us enough times -- and particularly today -- we will almost certainly eventually say the world needs more music from the apparently short-lived dream-pop band Hisoft and its dazzling but even more obscure, Pittsburgh-spawned precursor The Low Numbers. We've mentioned both acts in the blog previously years ago (this post from 2005 is the most comprehensive), but they are at top of mind again today. That's because over lunch we were trolling YouTube looking for Lilys clips we hadn't seen before (more on that another time), when we found this great live set from Hisoft. The erstwhile Philly act was comprised of fronter and guitarist Gerhardt Koerner, bassist Jesse Trbovich (now part of Kurt Vile's Violators, we believe), guitarist Don Devore and drummer Jason Kourkounis, and at least Mr. Koerner had previously served as a part of the Precollections-era Lilys line-up, which should make the aforementioned line of YouTube inquiry make a bit more sense. The five-song live performance may or may not have been filmed at The Khyber in Philadelphia, and the set list suggests it must have been about the time of the release of Hisoft's brilliant 2005 EP Amateur. Four songs from the five-song EP are performed: "West Coast Keith," "Comfortable," "Country Voice" (listed as "Country" on the EP), and "Continental Luck." Hisoft closes with the brilliant Low Numbers tune "Josef Albers," the b-side from one of two singles the band released (the second single was actually issued under the band name Numbers). The YouTube clip is a crucial document of an unsung act perhaps at the height of its game, so do take the time to watch the set end to end.

Dirty Dishes, Ghost Box Orchestra, Grass Is Green, Speedy Ortiz | Great Scott, Boston | 22 Aug.

So Wednesday we advise you catch the killer bill listed above, featuring the baked-on grit of Dirty Dishes, the "Best Psych/Experimental Act"-acclaimed Ghost Box Orchestra, the auditory pugilism of progressive post-punkers Grass Is Green, and the slithering, angular pop greatness of Speedy Ortiz. It's one in an enlarging series of ridiculously good bills that Boston seems to conjure with almost embarrassing ease these days. Not content to rock you just Wednesday, Jesse from Grass Is Green and Alex from Dirty Dishes will be rocking under the banner of their new side project Big Putts Friday at O'Brien's, along with Speedy Ortiz yet again (if Sadie from Speedy wasn't so conversant on the topic of ancient coffee shops and burrito places in Northampton, we'd have a hard time believing she isn't actually based in Boston. But we digress...) as well as Ovlov, Sneeze and Neur.

But anyway, back to Wednesday, Great Scott's got the goods, get over there and enjoy these late summer nights as they start to drink themselves away one by one. Below are some things you will be fortunate to hear, starting with the Dirty Dishes tune "Blur," the closing cut from the quartet's The Most Tarnished Birds EP that was released on CD in March (the whole thing is for sale on Bandcamp here). We haven't any idea what is in Ghost Box Orchestra's live set these days, but we find the slowly cycling groove of the quintet's 2011 Spring Tour Tape (now sold out) to be entrancing; latch on to the 14-minute nod of the B-side via the second Bandcamp embed below. Grass Is Green's 2012 release Ronson continues to move us, particularly the melodic spazz of the album-closing instrumental "Ruffleball," which we played during the March New Music Night at River Gods way back when; hear the number -- which will draw you in with whammy pedal acrobatics but will make you love it with the gentle salvo of horns at the close -- via the embed below. As for Speedy Ortiz, we recommend listening to it all, and have already done so in a number of places, including here and here.

Today's Hotness: Ahuizotl, Grass Is Green, Best Practices

>> Few things get us as excited as Dinosaur Jr.-influenced losercore, and so it took only seconds of listening to Ahuizotl's recent Lice EP to know we had struck gold. The Cologne, Germany-based guitar pop quartet certainly wears its '80s and '90s American underground influences on its proverbial sleeves (search the band name on YouTube and you will find fronter Barry Langer covering all the greats, including Palace's "I Am A Cinematographer" and Pavement's "Elevate Me Later"). And the same goes for the thrilling seven-song set Ahuitzol self-released last summer. The act -- which just last week opened for Wild Flag in Cologne -- is named for a creature that ancient Aztecs believed had a hand on its tail, but that's not important right now. What is important is that the foursome's music communicates right at gut-level with big guitars, tastefully restrained synth and earnest vocals. The brilliantly understated "Slide" rests somewhere on an axis between Yo La Tengo's "Blue Line Swinger" and The Cure's "Play For Today." The strummer "Work Is Over (If You Want It)" recalls Versus (particularly the chorus "this is a call to arms / I know you're strong enough to hold me...") and is both buoyant with longing and helplessly tethered by resignation. "Self-Made" makes it by dropping dense guitar in and out of over top of insistent fuzz bass and strikes a neat crescendo before a guitar solo rendered in liquid mercury. Ahuizotl's Bandcamp also houses two earlier collections fo material that suggest Mr. Langer has been honing his craft for almost a decade, and while there are bright spots in the back catalogue, the energy and focus of Lice is a huge step forward for the band. Have a listen to "Slide" below and then click over to hear the entire EP, it is dynamite.



>> We're getting a first taste of what Boston post-hardcore upstarts Grass Is Green have been brewing up for their return next month. The quartet has crafted what sounds like an ambitious concept album about a fictional character named Ronson, and the preview track "Nice Guy Of The Year Award" recently popped up on the Internerds. The detailed and intricate rocker suggests the new collection -- recorded all analog to tape, executive produced by Susan Rogers and co-produced with Alex Prieto at The Recording Company in Boston -- will be a massive step forward for the band, both from a production and songwriting standpoint. The band's previous impressive effort Chibimoon showcased a lot of promise and an almost equal amount of quirk, but it is nothing compared to the tactical precision, conspicious power and impressive gloss that marks "Nice Guy." Grass Is Green is taking pre-orders for Ronson now through its Bandcamp page right here. The band will tour for the entire month of March and full tour dates are online right here. We first wrote about the band here last April upon the release of the EP Chibimoon.



>> Best Practices' forthcoming, ridonkulously titled The EP LP delivers euphorically overdriven post-punk in breathlessly short, hypercaffienated bursts. At least that is what we surmise based on the two bracing preview tracks we can't stop streaming. Neither of these eclipses 75 seconds, and the Providence-based quartet's complete nine-song set clocks in at a blinding 12 minutes. Indeed, the collection is so compact that it will come on a one-sided 12" when Tiny Engines releases it April 24. Stream "Welcome To Erf" and "Future Cougar" via the embed below, and get ready to press play over and over and over and over again. Additional album tracks will be posted each week for streaming leading up to the start of pre-orders, which will commence sometime next month. The EP LP is Best Practices' Tiny Engines debut, and it was recorded July 2011 by Will Killingsworth at Dead Air Studios in Western Massachusetts. Additional vocals were recorded by Dan Sawyer at The Parlour in Rhode Island. The band features current and former members of Light The Fuse And Run, Wow, Owls!, Weak Teeth and Jesuscentric. If tape is your thing, apparently The EP LP was also released in a limited edition of 100 cassettes by the un-Googlable Teeth Like Swords.

Today's Hotness: Lubec, Los Campesinos!, Winterpills

>> Should you be so foolhardy as to not be a friend to Clicky Clicky on The Facebook, then you are likely not aware of the most recent recording from Lubec. The guitar-pop band has posted a startlingly brilliant new song to its Bandcamp dojo, so dig the embed below, and then click over to download the thing for free. Oh, right, the song: "You're A Good Idea (Theme From Lubec)" is a melodic tour de force of kaleidoscopic guitar, simple cascades of piano and punchy bass playing. Not bad for an act that re-invented itself from scratch last year. Indeed, it is heartening to find that fronter Eddie Charlton was able to constitute a very potent band after making the move from Richmond to Portland. We checked in briefly with Mr. Charlton this evening and he says his new iteration of Lubec is firing on all cylinders and is considering a number of different options for releasing new material (although the planned single we posted about on Facebook Jan. 19 may be scotched in favor of something different). We last wrote about Lubec some 13 months ago here upon the release of the act's amazing "Cherry Adair" video; the band released its debut EP Nothing Is Enough in October 2010. Lubec is definitely one to watch, but for now, just listen.



>> Clicky Clicky faves Los Campesinos! will issue March 19 a second single from the Cardiff-based act's Best of 2011 collection Hello Sadness. The single is the riffy, warbling and anthemic album cut "Songs About Your Girlfriend," and a video will precede the single's release next week on St. Valentine's Day. On the heels of the single's release, Los Campesinos! will launch an 11-date UK tour. You can stream "Songs About Your Girlfriend" right now at the Soundcloud embed below; full tour dates are online right here. Los Camp! is currently rounding out a very extensive U.S. tour, the final dates of which we're posting below the song embed. We previewed Hello Sadness, the band's fifth full-length, right here.



02.08 -- DOUG FIR LOUNGE -- PORTLAND, OR
02.10 -- GREAT AMERICAN MUSIC HALL -- SAN FRANCISCO, CA
02.11 -- ECHOPLEX -- LOS ANGELES, CA
02.12 -- CASBAH -- SAN DIEGO, CA
02.15 -- CLUB DADA -- DALLAS, TX
02.16 -- FITZGERALD’S -- HOUSTON, TX
02.17 -- THE PARISH -- AUSTIN, TX
02.18 -- THE PARISH -- AUSTIN, TX

>> Props to our pals at the Ash Gray Proclamation for this post making us aware of the new full-length release coming from Northampton, Mass.'s Winterpills. The folk-rock act will release next week All My Lovely Goners on CD and as a digital download. At the same time the band is running a Kickstarter campaign for a vinyl release of the album, with a goal of raising $7,000 in order to get a deluxe vinyl package ready for Record Store Day, April 21. Pledging 20 bucks here gets you the LP when it's available, and additional tiers of giving offer access to premiums topping out with Executive Producer credit or house shows. We first turned on to Winterpills with the release of their eponymous 2005 debut, which we wrote about for Junkmedia right here. Winterpills play two shows to mark the release of All My Lovely Goners, Saturday the 18th in New York and Saturday the 25th at the Iron Horse in Northampton. We jotted some brief remarks about a July 2009 Winterpills set supporting Clicky Clicky faves Varsity Drag in Cambridge right here. Here's an oldie-but-goodie from the 2005 set:

Drummers with Grass Is Green | Great Scott Boston | 9 June 2011

Today's Hotness: Grass Is Green, Fire Island Pines, The Henry Clay People

>> Sometimes heavy like the blitzkrieging sounds of the D.C. underground of the late 20th century, sometimes just spacey and weird (check out the wonderful and stumbling ballad "Twinkle Toes"), it's Boston post-hardcore quartet Grass Is Green. The act just released a seven-song EP Chibimoon that is one of the most enjoyable surprises we've encountered in a while. The EP presents an impressive sonic range but at the same time shows Grass Is Green doesn't disregard the importance of melody. The foursome is playing our alma mater tomorrow night, the alma mater at which we spent the mid-'90s when you heard this type of smart, awesome indie rock seemingly around every corner. Chibimoon was self-released by the band in March and you can grab the whole thing for $5 at Bandcamp right here; a debut full-length was issued last September, and is also available via Bandcamp. We're embedding "Twinkle Toes" below, but it's well worth parting with five American dollars to hear the whole collection. Grass Is Green has two local gigs listed at its Bandcamp dojo: May 11 at Church and May 14 at Middle East Upstairs.



>> Additional notable indie rock has been piling up in our inbox, such as Fire Island Pines' fine Bratislava EP. The Cornwall, UK-based sextet fronted by a chap named Anton Rothschild is fewer than two years old, but the calm pacing of its orchestral pop communicates surprising confidence (not to mention competence). The music recollects The Sea And Cake or even Chin Up Chin Up in places, tempered with a spiky energy that suggests a very, very sleepy Los Campesinos! Fire Island Pines's arresting amalgamation of jangly guitars, persistent trumpet and murmured lyrics makes for a very listenable debut. Bratislava was released earlier this month via San Francisco-based digital label Vulpiano; the set is also available on a limited-edition CD-R. You can grab the entire collection for free at Bandcamp, but if you want a taster we suggest you check out the relatively perky "Heaven Till You Say;" the full EP is embedded below.

Bratislava EP by Fire Island Pines

>> As we quipped on Twitter last week, Los Angeles-based indie rock saviors The Henry Clay People have a new EP coming out next month, and it's a barn-burner. The short set is called This Is A Desert, and it's got five tracks, not the least of which is the scalding opener "The Honey Love He Sells." The whole thing was streaming at Spinner.com last week and we listened to it about 10 times, but now we can't find the link and the search on Spinner ain't turning it up. Dammit. Just take our word for it: you want this; it will be released on TBD in May; you can already pre-order the thing for $7 at the band's web site right here; and we think that's a smart move. If you need an early taste and can't be arsed to go to MySpace anymore -- and really, who can -- Aquarium Drunkard has a free download of track 2, "California Wildfire," that one can snatch right here. The Henry Clay People's full-length Somewhere On The Golden Coast was one of our favorite records of 2010.