Bradley’s Almanac

Thanksgiving [Boston Music Miscellany] Buffalo Tom, Cuffs, One Happy Island, Mission of Burma, Travels, Wheat

Posted on November 24, 2011 at 8:40 am | No Comments

Thanksgiving. Great holiday or The Greatest Holiday? No gift-giving or gift-taking required, just a day to surround yourself with family, eat to your belly’s content, and enjoy some calm before the impending onslaught of rampant consumerism. This long holiday weekend always helps me put things in perspective, gives me a break from sweating all that small stuff, and lets me appreciate all that I have. Which includes two fully functioning ears, lots of Boston-made music to put in them, and a place to write about it…

If you’re reading this, and you’re anywhere near Boston over this coming weekend, I’m assuming you’ll be at one (or all) of the three Buffalo Tom 25th Anniversary shows going down at the Brighton Music Hall in Allston. Three nights – Friday, Saturday, and Sunday – and a load of super-talented BT friends sharing the stage. I mean, take a gander at this list: J Mascis, Ted Leo, and Eugene Mirman (on Friday); Mean Creek, Bob Weston, and Hilken Mancini (on Saturday); Tanya Donelly and Thalia Zedek (on Sunday).

I’ll be there on Sunday for sure, and would make every night were it not for our annual Thanksgiving drive down to New York. That’s some unfortunate timing, but don’t feel too sad for me – I’ll be bowing down to The Cure at the Beacon Theatre on Friday night. Playing their first three albums, back to back, and with help from Lol and Roger. Yeah, I’m giddy (my last.fm library explains why). And despite the incongruity, I’ll probably keep smiling all the way through “Faith”.

The Friday and Saturday night Buffalo Tom shows are sold out, but last I checked there were still tickets for Sunday, so get on that before you’re stuck outside.

So, speaking of Buffalo Tom, guitarist/vocalist Bill Janovitz will be playing a short set to kickoff the ReadBoston Hometown Authors Reception at the Hotel Commonwealth on Monday, December 5th at 6pm. The shindig features 20 Boston area writers, including personal faves Jef Czekaj, Chuck Hogan, and Dennis Lehane. It’ll set you back $35, but that includes beer, wine, and light food, and besides, all proceeds benefit ReadBoston. Buy tickets right here.

While we await the release of their second 7-inch, Cuffs will appease us with another live appearance, this time at TT the Bears on Thursday, December 1st, opening for Advance Base. Haven’t heard of Advance Base yet? No worries, it’s just the name that Casiotone For The Painfully Alone‘s Owen Ashworth has chosen for his current musical output. In other words, go.


Our Cat (Nov 3, 2011) by Advance Base


Boston indie-pop trio One Happy Island have a new EP out, but you can’t have it… yet. The so-far-UK-only availability of the 4-song “Unsummer” CD (and songbook!) will be remedied shortly with a release party at Toad in Cambridge, MA on Friday night, December 16th. And in the spirit of full disclosure: Burlington, Vermont’s Let’s Whisper will be traveling down to open the show. (Hey, I’d be mentioning it even if I wasn’t playing drums with LW. Pinky swear.)

Looking a bit further ahead into 2012 (does that not sound futuristic?), Mission of Burma will, at long last, play a couple of Boston shows on Friday & Saturday, January 20th & 21st, at Brighton Music Hall. The last time they played their hometown? January 2010. Two years between gigs is way too long. Tickets are still available, but I’d imagine once the holidays are over that’ll change quickly.

If you were paying attention when I posted the most recent New Music Night playlist, you may have noticed new short-playing releases by a couple of local faves: Travels and Wheat

Travels‘ new 2-song 7-inch record is actually a gateway to a 5-song digital EP. Order up the vinyl, and you’ll get a download code for those two tracks (new song “Stencils” and a cover of Daniel Johnston’s “The Sun Shines Down On Me“) along with three other new ones (“Lucky“, “Veil of Stars“, and “The Runner“). Grab it on Bandcamp, where you’ll get the downloads instantly, with the wax due to ship in early December. Here’s the D.J. cover…


Wheat are doing something pretty special with their new songs as well – a series of three limited-edition two-song singles, the first of which is already out. Here, I’ll use their words to explain…

“Each single will feature 2 new tracks, exclusive artwork hand-screened by the band, full liner notes and free downloads. Subsequent months will have a new single, each with two additional tracks. This project will culminate in a yet-untitled, limited edition CD along with other exclusive downloads. The single can be purchased now through the band’s website.

All this serves to tide us over nicely as Wheat finishes up their next full length record, to be titled “Can’t Stop The Addiction”.

So I stayed up later last night than I should have, and the results can be found on Flickr: A slew of photos from recent (and one not so recent) Boston-area events. John Hodgman & Ted Leo at the Coolidge, Kristin Hersh at the MFA, The Wire panel at the Boston Book Fest, The Thoughts at All Asia, The National with Yo La Tengo and Wye Oak at the BoA Pavilion. And if you missed them earlier, Tanya Donelly & Friends at the Brattle. Whew.

Alright, time to pack the car and hit the road for New York. Reflections, here I come. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

Comments

Leave a Reply





  • BOSTON-AREA LIVE SHOW ACTION
    Tuesday, November 19th
    EARFULL
    Writers reading. Songwriters singing.
    with authors
    Joan Wickersham & Abbott Kahler
    and performers
    Joanne the Band & Tim Gearan
    @ the Burren Back Room

    Tuesday, November 19th
    Modest Mouse
    @ MGM Music Hall

    Wednesday, November 20th
    A.C. Newman (New P0rnographers)
    celebrates the 20th anniversary
    of his LP "The Slow Wonder"
    @ City Winery

    Thursday, November 21st
    An Evening with John Waters
    @ the Coolidge Corner Theatre

    Thursday, November 21st
    Horse Jumper of Love
    Spencer Radcliffe & Everything
    Primal Rat Screw
    @ the Sinclair

    Friday, November 22nd
    The Smithereens
    featuring vocalist Robin Wilson
    @ City Winery

    Friday, November 22nd
    Dawes
    Winnetka Bowling League
    @ Roadrunner

    Friday, November 22nd
    Amy Helm
    (full band show)
    @ the Cut

    Friday, November 22nd
    Yoke Lore
    Runnner
    @ the Royale

    Saturday, November 23rd
    Godspeed You! Black Emperor
    Alan Sparhawk (of Low)
    @ Roadrunner

    Saturday, November 23rd
    J Mascis
    @ the Sinclair

    Monday, November 25th
    Tyler + the Names
    Lupo Citta
    The Spatulas
    @ the Silhouette

    Tuesday & Wednesday
    November 26th & 27th
    The English Beat
    @ City Winery

    Friday, November 29th
    Caspian
    @ the Cabot, Beverly

    Saturday, November 30th
    Honoring Steve Morse
    All ages @ the Middle East

    Sunday, December 1st
    Interpol
    Cave In
    @ Roadrunner

    Sunday, December 1st
    Gillian Welch &
    David Rawlings
    @ the Wilbur

    Wednesday, December 4th
    The Ladybug Transistor
    Lightheaded
    Mark Robinson (Unrest/Air Miami)
    @ Deep Cuts

    Thursday, December 5th
    Shawn Colvin
    @ the Cabot, Beverly

    Thursday, December 5th
    The 8th Annual Allman-Betts
    Family Revival featuring...
    Devon Allman, Duane Betts,
    Sierra Hull, Luther Dickinson,
    Cody Dickinson, Jimmy Hall,
    Anders Osborne, Larry McCray,
    Lindsay Lou, Jackie Greene, G. Love,
    Lamar Williams, Jr., Alex Orbison,
    Robert Randolph, & Sierra Green
    @ the Orpheum

    Friday, December 6th
    Jason Narducy
    @ an Allston living room

    Friday, December 6th
    BASIC
    (Chris Forsyth, Douglas McCombs,
    & Mikel Patrick Avery)
    Chris Brokaw Rock Band
    @ the Middle East Upstairs

    Friday, December 6th
    Mike Viola
    The Figgs
    @ the Somerville Armory

    Friday, December 6th
    Past Life Crisis
    The Zip-Ups
    Lonely Leesa & the Lost Cowboys
    Looking For Rocks
    @ the Jungle

    Friday, December 6th
    BEAT plays the music
    of 80s King Crimson
    featuring Adrian Belew, Steve Vai,
    Tony Levin, & Danny Carey
    @ the Lynn Auditorium

    Saturday, December 7th
    Ted Leo & Aimee Mann's
    The Christmas Show!
    with Paul F. Tompkins,
    Nellie McKay, Josh Gondelman,
    & "other fun stuff"
    @ the Cabot, Beverly, MA

    Sunday, December 8th
    Footballhead
    New Age Thief
    @ Warehouse XI

    Monday, December 9th
    Joyce Manor celebrating
    10 years of 'Never Hungover Again'
    with Algnernon Cadwallader
    & the Ergs
    @ the Royale

    Thursday, December 12th
    Squirrel Nut Zipper
    @ the Cabot, Beverly, MA

    Thursday, December 12th
    Wednesday (solo)
    Cryogeyser (solo)
    @ the Somerville Armory

    Thursday, December 12th
    The Jesus Lizard
    Pile
    @ Roadrunner

    Friday, December 13th
    Suki Waterhouse
    Bully
    @ Roadrunner

    Saturday & Sunday
    December 14th & 15th
    They Might Be Giants
    @ the Orpheum

    Sunday, December 15th
    Tiny Moving Parts
    Action/Adventure
    Greywind
    @ the Crystal Ballroom

    Friday, December 20th
    MK Naomi
    Sun Urchins
    Arto Vaun
    @ Deep Cuts

    Saturday, December 21st
    The Del Fuegos
    Holiday Shows!
    2 shows @ City Winery

    Friday, December 27th
    Will Dailey
    full album performance
    @ the Burren

    Tuesday, December 31st
    Aerosmith (farewell tour)
    with the Black Crowes
    @ TD Garden

    Saturday, January 4th
    The Sheila Divine
    Baabes
    Teardrops
    @ the Sinclair

    Thursday, January 16th
    Kal Marks
    Paper Lady
    @ Deep Cuts

    Friday, January 17th
    Speedy Ortiz
    Grass Is Green
    & a surprise guest
    @ the Somerville Armory

    Sunday, January 19th
    Cracker
    @ the Middle East

    Sunday, Monday, & Tuesday
    January 19th, 20th, & 21st
    Robert Glasper
    two shows each day
    @ City Winery

    Tuesday, January 21st
    This Is Lorelei
    Youbet
    @ the Rockwell

    Saturday, January 25th
    Stereo MC's
    @ the Sinclair

    Friday, January 31st
    Half Waif
    See You At The Maypole
    @ the Somerville Armory

    Friday, January 31st
    Jamie XX
    @ Roadrunner

    Friday, January 31st
    Frank Black & his band
    play "Teenager of the Year"
    @ the House of Blues

    Saturday, February 1st
    Stuart Murdoch
    (Belle & Sebastian)
    "Nobody's Empire" book tour
    @ the Rockwell

    Saturday & Sunday
    February 1st & 2nd
    The Bowery Presents &
    Run For Cover Records
    present "Something In The Way"
    with
    Slowdive, Balance & Composure,
    Soccer Mommy, American Football,
    Fiddlehead, Mannequin Pussy,
    Militarie Gun, Sweet Pill, Anxious,
    One Step Closer, Ovlov, Glare,
    Enumclaw, Sadurn, Gouge Away,
    Mini Trees, Great Grandpa, Dazy,
    Wishy, My Fictions, Women in Peril,
    & more TBA
    @ Roadrunner

    Tuesday, February 4th
    Jerry Cantrell (Alice In Chains)
    Filter
    @ the House of Blues

    Friday, February 7th
    Rubblebucket
    Hannah Mohan
    @ Big Night Live

    Monday, February 10th
    Tim Heidecker
    DJ Douggpound
    @ the Royale

    Tuesday, February 11th
    Lauren Mayberry (Chvrches)
    @ the Royale

    Thursday, February 13th
    Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top)
    @ the Cabot, Beverly

    Saturday, February 15th
    Travis
    @ the Royale

    Monday & Tuesday
    February 17th & 18th
    Jack White
    @ Roadrunner

    Saturday, February 22nd
    Father John Misty
    Destroyer
    @ MGM Music Hall

    Sunday, February 23rd
    Jenny Owens Young
    @ Club Passim

    Thursday, February 27th
    Pom Pom Squad
    Caroline Kingsbury
    @ the Sinclair

    Friday, February 28th
    The Bevis Frond
    @ the Crystal Ballroom

    Friday, March 7th
    Michael Shannon, Jason Narducy,
    & friends mark the 40th anniversary of
    R.E.M.'s "Fables of the Reconstruction"
    (and more) with opener Dave Hill
    @ the Royale

    Monday, March 10th
    Kim Deal
    @ the Wilbur

    Friday, March 14th
    Dropkick Murphys
    Menzingers
    Kilograms

    Saturday, March 15th
    Hovvdy
    Video Age
    @ the Middle East Downstairs

    Saturday, March 15th
    Dream Theater
    40th Anniversary Tour
    @ the Wang

    Saturday, March 15th
    Dropkick Murphys
    Menzingers
    Teenage Bottlerocket
    @ MGM Music Hall

    Sunday, March 16th
    Dropkick Murphys
    Bouncing Souls
    Hot Water Music
    Rebuilder
    @ MGM Music Hall

    Monday, March 17th
    Dropkick Murphys
    Bouncing Souls
    Hot Water Music
    Cody Nilson
    @ House of Blues

    Wednesday, March 19th
    Quicksand
    @ the Paradise

    Thursday, March 20th
    Neil Degrasse Tyson
    @ the Wilbur

    Sunday, March 23rd
    Ida & Tsunami!
    the Coin-Flip tour!
    @ Crystal Ballroom

    Thursday, March 27th
    José González
    @ the Cabot in Beverly

    Saturday, March 29th
    Maya Hawke
    Katy Kirby
    @ Roadrunner

    Sunday, March 30th
    The Hard Quartet
    Sharp Pins
    @ the Paradise

    Saturday, April 5th
    Snow Patrol
    @ MGM Music Hall

    Saturday, April 5th
    Franz Ferdinand
    @ the Orpheum

    Tuesday, April 8th
    Deftones
    The Mars Volta
    Fleshwater
    @ TD Garden

    Wednesday, April 9th
    Kylie Minogue
    @ the Garden

    Thursday, April 10th
    FACS
    @ Deep Cuts

    Friday, April 11th
    Mogwai
    @ the Paradise

    Saturday, April 12th
    Franz Ferdinand
    @ the Orpheum

    Sunday, April 13th
    EXTC
    (Terry Chambers & friends)
    @ City Winery

    Sunday, April 13th
    Heart
    @ Agganis Arena

    Tuesday, April 15th
    Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
    St. Vincent
    @ Agganis Arena

    Thursday, April 17th
    Mercury Rev
    @ Brighton Music Hall

    Friday, April 18th
    Mount Eerie
    Hana Stretton
    @ the Sinclair

    Friday, April 18th
    Bright Eyes
    Cursive
    @ House of Blues

    Sunday, April 20th
    Gang of Four
    "The Long Goodbye" farewell tour
    playing "Entertainment!" & more
    @ the Crystal Ballroom

    Wednesday, April 23rd
    Dweezil Zappa
    @ the Cabot, Beverly, MA

    Wednesday, April 23rd
    The Linda Lindas
    Pinkshift
    @ the Paradise

    Friday & Saturday
    April 25th & 26th
    The Town and the City Festival!
    @ various venues in Lowell

    Saturday, May 17th
    Amyl & the Sniffers
    Sheer Mag
    @ Roadrunner

    Saturday, May 24th
    The Wedding Present
    "Bizarro" 35th Anniversary Tour
    with The Tubs
    @ the Sinclair

    Friday, May 30th
    Teddy Swims
    @ Suffolk Downs

    Friday, June 6th
    The Ocean Blue
    playing their self-titled LP
    and their "Cerulean" LP
    @ the Somerville Armory

    Tuesday & Wednesday
    June 10th & 11th
    Queens of the Stone Age
    @ MGM Music Hall

    Monday, July 7th
    OMD
    @ House of Blues

    Tuesday, July 15th
    Weird Al Yankovic
    @ the Wang

    Friday & Saturday
    July 18th & 19th
    PIXIES
    performing "Bossanova"
    & "Trompe Le Monde" (18th)
    and a set of classics (19th)
    with Kurt Vile & the Violators
    @ MGM Music Hall

    Monday, July 21st
    Ghost
    @ TD Garden

    Saturday, July 26th
    Rod Stewart
    Cheap Trick
    @ the Xfinity Center

    Tuesday, July 29th
    Goo Goo Dolls
    Dashboard Confessional
    @ the Pavilion

    Sunday, September 7th
    My Chemical Romance
    Idles
    @ Fenway Park