This Friday Boston's post-punk institution The Beatings celebrate 10 years-ish of finely crafted rock and roll music by performing its fire-breathing, first full-length Italiano! in its entirety at Radio in Somerville. This is not to be missed. The hour-long collection -- which, if memory serves, was named for a particularly colorful manager the band retained in its early days -- was issued in February 2002 as release Midriff-001 on the band's then-fledgling Midriff Records, a label concern that is itself now a pillar of the Boston rock scene. In the months that ensued Italiano! was heralded in the local, national and even international press. Not too many years later, The Beatings were featured in the thrilling Mission of Burma documentary "Not A Photograph" and the implication was clear: The Beatings, more than any other band besides, of course, the reincarnated Burma itself, were among Boston's elite contemporary standard bearers for noise pop. The younger band's succession of gripping full-lengths from Italiano! on is testament to that.
And while a decade of history has plunged from the upper chamber of the hourglass, neither The Beatings nor its label are simply maintaining the high with the resin of nostalgia: indeed, a strong argument can be made that -- based on the releases of the last 18 months -- the golden era of The Beatings and Midriff is right now. See the band burn it down yet one more time at Radio this Friday. Facebook event page. For the remainder of the month of March Italiano! and the rest of the Midriff catalogue is 50% off at the band's web storefront right here. The band was cool enough to permit us to offer the Italiano! standout "Twins" below, so hear it again for the first time.
Selected Beatings Coverage:
That Was The Show That Was: The Beatings, Hands And Knees
Review: The Beatings | Late Season Kids
That Was The Show That Was: The Beatings | TT The Bear's
Review: The Beatings | Holding On To Hand Grenades [Junkmedia]
