The And / Ors are proof that rock is not dead. Their CD "Will Self-Destruct" was my favorite album of 2001. Lane Miller channels Robert Quine through his battered Telecaster. Daniel Black set aside his Interstate Ten intensity and penned some classic indie pop gems. Please come back to Boston!
The Rosenbergs are on your side! They believe that if you listen to their generous samplings of free music on mp3.com you will rush out to by their CDs. How often do you get a chance to be thankful for anything in New Jersey?
Mr. Airplane Man used to play around Harvard Square before it was overrun by former day traders turned jugglers. They play a spare, gritty, bluesy garage rock that'll make you forget where you are. Most importantly, they're chicks!
What would have happened if REM continued playing Byrds-infected ballads and vintage college-radio-friendly thrash instead of continually trying to reinvent themselves? They would sound alot like The Red Telephone, another Boston favorite. Their sound is so polished you'll wonder why you haven't heard them before.
I hesitate to call these guys "alternative" - they play a jangly, chaotic garage rock that'll get you dancing with your beer bottle. They are my favorite "undiscovered" band in Boston. The Triple Thick website is at http://www.triplethick.com/
BlogCritics, a music critique and review website featuring the writings of webloggers around the world, announced plans to launch its website tomorrow/Tuesday, August 13th. They'll feature an interview with RIAA president Cary Sherman. Check out Eric Olsen's blog for more information and the latest happenings and be sure to visit BlogCritics on Tuesday!
One of my favorite Boston artists, Marta Gómez, is playing live this Thursday (15 August) - 8:30 pm at Ryles jazz club (212 Hampshire Street, Cambridge). She promises many new songs as well as some old ones, and the cover is $7. Don't miss this show, you'll be sorry - see you there!
(for my first post on Marta, click here)
You've heard Kirsty McColl before. If you read this site and like indie rock, I'd be willing to bet money on it. She's sung backup for the Smiths, done duets with Shane McGowan of the Pogues, and brought life to songs for others (by writing "They Don't Know - an early MTV favorite, sung by Tracey Ullmann) as well as covering songs by other writers ("A New England" by Billy Bragg is particularly good).
You can get a sampling of her work in Real Audio format on the long-running Kirsty McColl Freeworld website. Otherwise, as an introduction, I'd recommend her 'best-of' album Galore, which was released prior to her death. She was hit by a speedboat off the coast of Cozumel in December 2000, just as she was beginning to explore Latin music in greater depth with her last album, Tropical Brainstorm.