((Features)) - Oh My Rockness
Written by Patrick McNamara
Grass is Green is a Boston band. They play the good punk. And since the good punk goes all “bend. stop! reeeeeach. stop! screeeech. stop. stab! jab! look out! settle down! what’s that? BAM!” it probably should be called "post-punk." But I’m not going to call it that. Even though I just did. By saying I’m not going to. And that, friends, is the best muzik blob trick I know.
These four guys (Andy! Devin! Michael! Jesse!) are good though. Grass is Green remind me of June of 44. And that’s a sharp compliment I’m slinging right there because I was just about the biggest June of 44 fan there was (I still have those really cool limited ship stamps that came with “Tropics & Meridians” and I wanted to get a tattoo out of one of them but I never did because I got a Michael Jordan tattoo instead and perhaps I’m getting off track here).
Grass is Green’s sound is also most certainly influenced by Dischord and all the raw angular guitarness punks on that label like Shudder to Think and Hoover and Nation of Ulysses and Lungfish and Fug….well, you get it. (June of 44 wasn't on Dischord - they were on Quarterstick.)
The band put out a 7” called “Split Dicks” in 2012 (with the similarly fine Boston punker rocker band Two Inch Astronaut). And on their Facebook, Grass is Green say they play “post-dick wave.” Now, I know nothing is really a pattern until you have at least three - and I’d love to tell you that Grass is Green's upcoming album for Exploding In Sound Records (who have also put out fine releases for fine bands like Ovlov + Fat History Month + Krill + etc. etc.) is called “Dickie Thon” or something - because that would have made this perfect - but sadly, life isn’t perfect. And that upcoming album is called “Vacation Vinny.” Son of a dick.
In summation of a whole lot of nothing, you’re going to like this band. They rock the guitar goodness that people are going to call "post-punk." But not me. No sirree. That's not what I'm calling Grass is Green. I’m just calling this BEND! STOP! REACH! STOP! SCREECH! STAB! JAB! LOOK OUT! SETTLE DOWN! WHAT’S THAT? BAM!
Grass is Green do not have any shows scheduled....yet....but save them using your MY ROCKNESS ACCOUNT and we'll let YOU know when they're playing Los Angeles...as soon as WE know. Cool? Cool.
Written by Patrick McNamara
Syracuse’s Perfect Pussy is a melodically muddled lo-fi punk band of four led by frontwoman/shouter, Meredith Graves. Their music is noisy and sloppy and abrasive and strangely pretty. Perfect Pussy grips it and rips it. And I think that’s some golfing term, man. So yeah. Once you start throwing around golfing lingo you know things are about to get intense.
Let’s work outward in. I’ve posted a stream of Perfect Pussy’s explosively muddled new EP, “I Have Lost All Desire For Feeling.” You’re going to want to scroll down and play that now. Just promise to scroll back up and keep reading. Because things get a LOT more dynamic around here starting with the next paragraph.
OK. So you’re streaming now, right? Cool. And no, your speakers are actually working just fine. It’s supposed to sound like that. I’m guilty of thinking otherwise too. I first listened to this wonderful EP while wearing headphones (better to hear the booms) and I thought my wire wasn’t all the way in the headphone jack. I messed with it a little bit longer than I should have. But anyway, you hear that melodically muddled lo-fi punk thing too, right? It’s very important to me that you hear that. Give me validation and no one gets hurt NOR do they get chocolate!
Keep blasting. And while you do, let me tell you that Perfect Pussy don’t really offer up a lot about themselves on the intra blob. And that’s understandable. Having a website with a “media materials” section = not very punk rock (but those sections do help bands get reviews of themselves that all sound the same... so... pluses and minuses, I guess). But don’t worry, guys. I worked it out. I got the “media materials” I needed. I went a little MacGyver-esque. That band image above is a screenshot I grabbed of some basement show (deductive reasoning via low ceiling) that Perfect Pussy recently played. I found it on CoolTube! (first, I just image searched “Perfect Pussy” and the results returned had nothing to do with a Syracuse punk band.) And as for these words, well, those came from the same place they always come from - my heart.
Play it louder. You'll get it better. Yes. That's it. That's the ticket.
I’m feeling crazy today. Obviously. And here’s what I’m going to do. Below the Perfect Pussy EP stream down there that you've been blasting this whole time, I’m also going to post that CoolTube video too. I know. Insane. I’ve never posted mixed medias on here before. But I’m going to do it anyway. And I don’t EVEN care.
Brocamp? CoolTube? I’m doing both, sucka. Because like Perfect Pussy... I too... am PUNK. ROCK.
Perfect Pussy play two upcoming shows - at Detroit Bar, on Wednesday, December 18th, and East 7th, on Friday, December 20th.
Written by Patrick McNamara
Welcome to Our Favorite Songs of 2013! We’re gonna have a lot of fun streaming good sounds together!
But before we do that, let me explain what this dynamic year-end original internet blob feature is all about.
The following are 15 songs that I heard for the first time in 2013 A.D. And when I heard them in 2013 A.D. I said, “this song is my favorite song of the year!” I said that 15 times this year - also called 2013 A.D.
Got it? Terrific! Now here wheeeee gooooooo!
(oh wait - one last thing - please place no significance as to the order in which these good songs are listed - the order doesn’t matter in the slightest - really, the only reason why the order would matter at ALL would be because the bands get a little more sucky as you get farther down the page - just kidding - not kidding - but totally am - who even knows anymore - LOL! ROFL! LOLROHAHAHARLFOLOL!!!!)
They’re / Their / There - Fit Your Life in a Grid
This good band features members of other good bands. But we’re not here to talk about the band. You can click their linkable name up there if you want to go into that. We’re here to discuss the song. I like this song mostly for the last 15 seconds. So wait for it. Because he goes high and holds it. And he goes higher and holds it. But he’s not done yet! He then goes even higher… and holds it! And I do believe that’s called emo, friends. Oh yeah. Harmony. It’s also called harmony too…. if you want to get “technical.” But where’s the heart in that?
Joanna Gruesome - Tugboat (Galaxie 500 cover)
True story. I saw Joanna Gruesome play CMJ and they were really good. Thankfully, the story doesn’t end there. Because that ain’t no kind of story at all. It was a day show. Probably 12:30pm. In Park Slope. For some reason. And they played “Tugboat.” It was a quiet and pretty song that was building to something, you could just tell - and then a few minutes in (3:27 to be specific to this version) Alanna McCardle did this blood curdling scream. And then the guitars exploded. The heavens opened. And I literally welled up with tears it was so beautiful. Now that’s a story.
Chad Valley - Real Time
Chad Valley makes really good pop songs. Did you know that? Don’t believe me? Well, HERE! And THERE! HAPPY NOW?!?! In keeping with his tradition, “Real Time” is also a really good pop song. And by that, I mean I like to sing this song in the shower. I can’t really hit the high notes though :( But I try in there. Goddamn it, I try. :)
The Lovely Bad Things - Hear or Anywhere
“Hear or Anywhere” is a four minute burst of euphoric delight. When a band is this tight and together - and they have a singer (in this case Lauren Curtius) who can actually, you know, sing - it always leaves me with a certain special sense of joyful mirth with good tidings toward all. Because we’re all in this together. Right? Shh. Say no more. That’s a deal.
Sky Ferriera - You’re Not The One
I feel REAL conflicted about this song. Not about its quality. It’s the real deal as they say in the “muzik blob biz.” This is one helluva instantly likeable song. But it also breaks my heart because I’m not the one. I’m just not the one. It’s like, I sorta figured that out already on my own, Sky. Do you really have to rub it in over and over for close to four minutes. JUST LET ME HEAL.
Anamanaguchi - Endless Fantasy
This is happiness trapped in a song. These Anamanaguchi lads keep getting better, don’t they? I don’t know why I just called them lads. Every time this band puts out something new, it’s more solid than the thing before it. This statement is not intended as a reverse compliment. It’s intended as jealousy. I’d do anything to keep getting better at my various pursuits (well, i’d do anything… but i won’t do that… NO NO I WON’T DO THAT!). But alas, I think I peaked creatively in 6th Grade.
Big Ups - Goes Black
This is a really good one for all you punker rockers out there. What I like most about this song is not just its fresh riffs. Fresh riffs are all fine and good but fresh riffs and fresh riffs alone won’t get you added to this list, bub. What I like most about this song is that it seems like frontman Joe Galaragga is really talking to me like an old friend. You know, around the campfire style. That he appears to be discussing death is just cherry on the icing on top of the cake, as far as I’m concerned.
PUP - Reservoir
Here’s another one for my punker rockers. WHERE YOU AT?!? I like this song because it sounds like a fight between friends. I also like it because you can sing along to it (this is very important to me and my showers). Ahhhh, I remember when PUP played this song at our CMJ show. “SHUT UP ABOUT YOUR STUPID CMJ SHOW, SUCKNESS! THAT WAS LIKE 2 MONTHS AGO?!?!” Actually it was more like 6 weeks ago and if you have a problem with me talking about our CMJ show maybe YOU SHOULD MEET ME AT THE RESERVOIR AND WE’LL WORK IT OUT, PAL!!!!!
Crash of Rhinos - Impasses
Great emo all the way through. But make sure to wait for the part in this song where they go, “RAISE A GLASS FOR MEEEEEEE” (at 5:48). It’s a similar moment to that They’re / Their / There moment I just dynamically described previously. You can scroll back up to their portion of this article if you missed that description. It’s cool. There are no rules here.
Vampire Weekend - Step
Real talk time. True spit. This might not even be my favorite song on the new (well, latest I should probably say now) Vampire Weekend album. But this is the first song I heard from that album and when I listened to it I thought, “What? I like this? I like Vampire Weekend? Huh. Who knew?” So I figured because this was the song that made me realize I liked Vampire Weekend then this is the song that should be on this list. I did not take this super important decision lightly. I thought long and hard about it. For weeks. It tore me apart. Just so you know.
Alvvays - Adult Diversion
This song makes me want to bounce in my chair and hand clap along and wink and point at random people nearby. But I can’t right now. Because I need my hands to type this thing. And I’m in my bedroom. Alone. But you can. And you totally should! Definitely make sure you also do the winking and pointing thing. That part of the equation is key.
Squarehead - What’s Wrong
What’s wrong? I’ll tell you what’s wrong. What’s wrong is more people don’t know about Squarehead! That’s what’s wrong! This song made it in because of the fresh riffs. They’re the freshest. THE GUITARS SHALL LEAD US….. as the synths slowly slink away….. aww, don’t be too sad synths…. you had your day…. two of them, actually….. you’ll get another day soon… hang in there…. clear eyes full hearts can’t lose, synths.
Daytona - The Road
This is a good song when you want to feel sorry for yourself - but in like that freeing and releasing kinda way. Like, “Life is hard. But whattya gonna do? One go-around is all she’s gonna give us so we might as well take her punches to the gut and get right back up and do our best to make the most of the times in between.” This song is like that. In musical form.
Infinity Shred - Kodiak
This is another good song you’ve got to wait for. Not to say the stuff in the beginning is a “get through” or anything. But if you want the payoff, you’ve got to hold your horses and mind your Ps and Qs until shortly before the end. I’m not even going to tell you when it gets good. You’re going to have to make that discovery for yourself. You’ve got to earn this one. Because the more you give - the more you get.
Kittyhawk - The First One
This song made the list because it’s good. But also because I’m a sucker for nostalgia and this reminds me of when I was in college. I feel like I should be wearing a backpack when I listen to this - and be thinking about big stuff like “what is truth?” and “what does good even mean” and “isn’t art all subjective.” Ahhh. I remember those days. Now I just think about “what should I order on GrubHub later” and “or maybe it’s a Seamless kind of night” and “why the hell did I get a white tote bag anyway?”
Vulture Shit - Dinnertime
And finally - I have to put this song in a special category. My Funniest Song of the Year. Because this song makes me laugh every time I play it. Every. Single. Time. Dude is so stoked to eat dinner!
So that’s it. Those were My Favorite Songs of 2013. Wow. This list has been the best. Please make it go viral. By tomorrow morning if possible. Thanks in advance.
Your Pal,
Patrick
12/08 Brand New @ Troubadour
12/10 Guy Blakeslee (of Entrance Band) @ Harvard & Stone
12/11 Neon Indian (DJ Set) @ The Echo
12/12 Fuzz, Endless Bummer, Doses @ El Cid
12/13 Oddience @ The Lyric Theatre
12/17 Guy Blakeslee (of Entrance Band) @ Harvard & Stone
12/18 Perfect Pussy, NASA Space Universe @ Detroit Bar
12/19 Iggy Azalea @ The Fonda Theatre
12/20 Hunx & His Punx, Shannon and the Clams, Dunes @ The Church on York
12/21 Hott MT, Mt. Ossa @ The Echo (Echoplex)
12/27 Moving Units, Contra @ The Smell
12/31 The Aggrolites @ Alex's Bar
12/31 The English Beat @ Saint Rocke
1/11 Spindrift @ Alex's Bar
1/14 Froth @ The Echo
1/15 The Fray @ Troubadour
1/17 Superhumanoids @ The Echo (Echoplex)
1/25 Superhumanoids @ The Observatory
1/29 Wild Cub @ Bootleg
2/03 The BOTS @ Bootleg
2/11 Secret Chiefs 3 @ The Observatory (Constellation Room)
2/11 Band of Horses (acoustic) @ Wilshire Ebell Theatre
2/14 Biffy Clyro, Morning Parade @ El Rey Theatre
2/21 Marissa Nadler, Pink Mountaintops @ The Church on York
2/21 Magic Man @ The Echo
2/22 Lawrence Rothman @ Bootleg
2/25 Kaiser Chiefs @ El Rey Theatre
2/28 Com Truise @ The Echo (Echoplex)
2/28 Moistboyz (feat. Dickie & Mickie Moist/Dean Ween) @ The Satellite
3/07 Four Tet, Anthony Naples @ The Echo (Echoplex)
3/12 Between the Buried and Me, Deafheaven @ The Glass House
3/21 Wakey! Wakey! @ Bootleg
3/26 Xiu Xiu @ The Echo
3/27 Saintseneca, Vikesh Kapoor @ The Echo
3/28 Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks, Speedy Ortiz @ El Rey Theatre
3/29 Rocket From The Crypt @ The Echo (Echoplex)
4/04 The War on Drugs @ Troubadour
5/10 Puscifer, A Perfect Circle, Failure @ The Greek Theatre
7/21 Lady Gaga @ Staples Center
AND MORE...
VIEW ALL JUST ANNOUNCED SHOWS HERE >>
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Written by Patrick McNamara
GRMLN is a good alt-rock-power-sock-hop-chill-garage band. Yes. That’s just what they are. And it's all wonderfully made by California, Orange County via California, Santa Cruz via Japan, Kyoto resident, Yoodoo Park. By the way, Kyoto’s an amazing place. You should totally go there. Is this a poorly hidden brag to let you know that I’ve been to Kyoto? Yes. Yes it is. Just let me have this. You can have that you don’t own a TV. Or that you have a lot of Follow Likes.
GRMLN certainly like guitars. That’s cool. I do too. We should hang out. GRMLN also like creating catchy musical parts for those precious guitars to play. But they go all over the place. Sometimes these parts are sunny and nice and peaceful and noodle-y - as if they were made while set adrift on a windless sea. And sometimes these parts are just straight riffy - as if they were made three feet away from your oil leaking K car and your random assortment of half inflated sporting balls.
Overall, if I HAD to say (which I don’t - because this isn’t real life), I would say that GRMLN’s music is fairly chill. But don’t turn your back on it. Don’t you do that. Because this music could stab you in the back. Which isn’t very chill at all. But in this case, no. It is. It is chill. GRMLN will stab you in the back with guitar jabs, to be sure. But those stabs are done out of love, mannnnn. GRMLN don’t wanna cut ya. GRMLN just wanna rock ya.
If you like Wild Nothing you should check out GRMLN. Maybe not a totally 100% best comparison because GRMLN are a little... NO. WAIT. It is the best comparison. Because saying it’s not is a cop-out. If I’m gonna go ahead and throw out a band comparison I might as well stick to it. I’m not going to throw out a band comparison in a way where it seems like I’m above my OWN comparison. I don’t roll my muzik blob that way, son! (example: “Many people say GRMLN sound like Wild Nothing and of course that would be the EASY comparison to make HOWEVER when you REALLY...”). Pffffft. Please fart me on all that.*
(*careful readers will see that i did just do what i hate but i just did it in a different way therefore i am a fraud and oh wells because this is all a game - YOINKS!)
Maybe I’ve said too much already. Maybe you should just stream this good GRMLN song. It’s called “Teenage Rhythm.” And it’s from the band’s album “Empire” that recently was released via Carpark. You know Carpark, don’t ya? Thought so. Anyway, you’re going to stream more than just this one GRMLN song. Because remember, GRMLN’s sound goes a little all over the place.
(....when you do stream this song though you’re also going to say, “wow, this doesn’t sound like Wild Nothing at all... and you’d be right..... on THAT song.... but keep streaming... and you’ll see.... you’ll see.... so will you stream more than one?....shhhh.... say no more.... that’s a deal.)
GRMLN plays Alex's Bar, on Saturday, December 14th.
Written by Patrick McNamara
Krill do off-kilter “indie rock” (now, you can do that super cool thing where you pretend you don’t know what those two words “even mean anymore” - but you and i both know what those two words mean - so let’s stop the games - real talk - true spit). And Krill's skittish guitar songs will leave you feeling good and rocked out albeit a bit nervous about the strange and unusual route you took to get there.
The three Bostonionians (Guitarist Aaron! Singer/Bassist Jonah! Drummer Ian!) make it poppy (but not TOO poppy) and prefer to view the world through a warbled lens. Krill enjoy using guitars to veer and meander, but sometimes when they’re feeling a tad more spunky their guitars go all herky jerky on us (note: i haven’t used “herky jerky” as an adjective to describe music since the heyday of my “herky jerky” addiction back in 2004-5 and those were dark descriptive days to be sure but it just seemed right to bring “herky jerky” back from the dead for this one time only and i promise this is the last time).
Krill does its thing (the thing i just attempted and failed to describe) with a heavy dose of humor too. Don’t believe me? See: the opening song of their latest album titled, “Theme from Krill.” See: @krillamhmacy. See: does everything need to be proved to you in order for you to believe it?! Turn your head OFF and turn your heart ON, man! And you go out there and you LIVE THIS LIFE! Anyway, I don’t know about you but I don’t vouch for humor in music at all. This isn’t some kind of game we’re playing here, guys. This is the music industry. This is serious business.
In summation, Krill is a good guitar band. And that summation sums up nothing at all. But man, there sure seems to be a lot of those good guitar bands in the Bostonionian area these days, doesn’t there? Right? Guys? Hello? Guys?
I meandered too much….and now I’ve lost everybody and everything.
Oh well. At least I still have Krill’s wonderfully warbled melodic eccentric “indie rock” album to stream in its entirety right there down below.
Annnnnnnnddddd SCENE!
Krill plays Shea Stadium, on Thursday, December 5th.
Krill do not have any shows scheduled....yet....but save them using your MY ROCKNESS ACCOUNT and we'll let YOU know when they're playing LA...as soon as WE know. Cool? Cool.
