[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4Nv8aEjMvE[/youtube] Before we go any further, allow me to point out the most important thing you’re going to learn today: PANTHAR is named after a taxidermied bobcat. I can’t decide whether I love more that this is how they named the band, or that the taxidermied bobcat is named PANTHAR in the first place. PANTHAR sounds like LA if LA was in space. On a planet where it was perpetually the 80s (I think Hampton Beach is on that planet, too). Naturally, they will have a song called “Ghost Rocket.” The video features psychedelic laser beams, questionable eyeshadow choices, and…
10 CommentsCategory: video
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BId86m-TCj4[/youtube] Did you, like me, spend an hour and a half shoveling hip-high snow this morning? And that was just round one? Then what you need is this video (and perhaps also hot chocolate with booze in it). It’s literally the opposite of 3 feet of snow. It’s a surf extravaganza about Starship Troopers. You heard me. I’ve talked about Brooklyn buddies The Nuclears before, and this video is for a song off their 2014 album This Is How We Party. It’s also an amazing B-movie-looking beach party, complete with surfing, babes, and plastic insects fighting (or possibly having sex?).…
6 Comments[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSXZe1C6kw8[/youtube] I am not alone, at this fine publication, in liking Ex Hex a lot. Myself, I first encountered them when they opened for Rocket from the Crypt on their reunion tour last summer. One of the things that instantly endears a live band to me is stage moves. Rock moves and synchronized moves and dance moves, anything you’ve got, I am on board. And these 3 ladies were having a very party time onstage and dancing at each other, and on top of their moves, they had catchy, bouncy rock! Well, that was it for me, I was sold.…
5 CommentsThe practice of ranking the year’s albums is certainly one that I approach with some hesitation. Like Kyle, I was tempted to not even try to rank them. I mean, ask me what the best album of the year is and — depending on my mood and the day’s events — I’ll likely give you a different answer each time. However, the geek in me wants to give things some sort of order, so I’m going to resort to statistics and order them by total number of plays for all songs on the album, on all of my devices. Sound…
17 CommentsAll right. Time for my year-end list. However, since I only got on board this music blogging train in October, I’m at a bit of a disadvantage. Until then, I didn’t really have to care whether a given album came out within a given calendar year – I have an unfortunate habit of getting into bands late, for instance – except for bands who are built out of my friends, because you can believe I know when THEY put an album out. Note: this does not mean this is “friend rock” (hat tip to Smo for coining that term) that…
11 CommentsWell folks it’s that time of year again whether you like it or not. Some people dread the annual top lists of things but I really dig ’em. Mostly because it provides a chance to be introduced to something you may have missed that year, or be reminded that you should have listened to everyone saying how awesome that album is and how you need to hear it. There was so much great music in 2014 and it made it very hard to keep to my list of ten best albums for the year, but I persevered and sorted out my…
10 Comments[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibqK03pSe5A[/youtube] Christmas is coming. For some people, that’s a more fraught, and perhaps literal, statement than for others. Boston’s acoustic comedy duo, The Daley Grimes, want you to know that if Santa gives you the “no” feeling, you’re not alone. If you want to talk about it in a safe space, or just watch them sing more songs, bring your Christmas packages* to the Davis Square Theatre, tomorrow night (Dec. 12th) – they’ll be playing, along with friends OTP and Answerman. I hope I see you there… and I hope I don’t see Santa there. *Yup. I made that joke.
6 Comments[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7JjVNW1jHE[/youtube] Happy Monday! Did you go to a weird party this weekend? And if not, why not? Either way, I bet it wasn’t half as weird as the party in this video. All the way from Greece, My Drunken Haze gives us “Carol Wait,” off their self-titled debut album. It’s sunny 60s garage pop that is totally belied by the dim and ominous atmosphere in the video. Handclaps and lyrics about drowning and hell – what is not to love here? Also, I think they have a time machine and hired 90s Liv Tyler to star in this video. That…
6 Comments[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPkAQUyNIus[/youtube]
Oklahoma’s JD McPherson is readying the release of his sophomore album, Let The Good Times Roll, out February 10th on Rounder Records, and has just announced his US tour dates for February and March. To celebrate what will surely be a great start to the new year JD and his band performed a beautiful version of “How Insensitive” on the newest episode of “Time Well Spent With People Worth Knowing.” Featuring the incomparable vocals of Nashville musician Nikki Lane, the timeless jazz standard reaches new levels of heartbreak.
We are huge fans of JD McPherson and Nikki Lane so you can bet that we were super excited to be able to share this live recording with you all. Speaking of live, take a look at the the tour dates listed below and be sure to make it to the show when JD and his band hit your town. For us Bostonians we get to see them at the great Cambridge venue The Sinclair on March 4th. Be there!
2 Comments