Bradley’s Almanac

[Last Night’s Playlist] New Music Night XIV at River Gods

Posted on January 24, 2014 at 9:28 am | No Comments

The very first New Music Night of 2014 happens to be the 14th installment. By now, we’ve got this thing pretty much down. Or at least we’d like to think so. You’d have to ask all the people who came out last night to listen to Jay Clicky Clicky and I play 4 straight hours of new music to be totally sure. Heads were bobbin’, song identities were inquired about, no one gave us the stink-eye up in the River Gods DJ booth, so I’m guessing they’d agree.

Here’s what I played during my two split-shifts of our song-spinning shenanigans. Keep an eye on Jay’s place for his playlists, but give him some extra time to post ’em. As of midnight, as he started his last set, he officially turned old-years-old. The slowdown begins! (I kid, I kid. Happy Birthday, my friend).

New Music Night XIII
at River Gods in Cambridge, MA
on Thursday, January 23rd, 2014

* Boston-ish-area artist

Set One / Brad Almanac / 9pm – 10pm

* 01. Marissa Nadler – “Was It A Dream?” / Soundcloud
[ From her upcoming LP “July”, out 2/10 on Bella Union ]
02. Doug Keith – “You Can’t Stand To Be Alone” / Bandcamp
[ From his upcoming record “Pony”, out 2/11 on The Village Label ]
03. Let’s Wrestle – “Codeine and Marshmallows” / Soundcloud
[ From their self-titled third LP, out next month on Fortuna Pop ]
04. Kevin Drew – “Good Sex” / Soundcloud
[ From his next solo LP “Darlings”, out 3/18 on Arts & Crafts ]
05. The War On Drugs – “Red Eyes” / Soundcloud
[ From the “Lost in the Dream” LP, out 3/18 on Secretly Canadian ]
06. School of Language – “Between the Suburbs” / Download
[ From David of Field Music’s solo LP “Old Fears”, out 4/7 on Memphis Industries]
07. Hospitality – “Rockets and Jets” / Soundcloud
[ From their brand new LP “Trouble”, out last Tuesday on Merge ]
08. Eternal Lips – “Dream Hesitate” (with Sharon Van Etten) / Soundcloud
[ From a self-titled EP due out 2/25 on New Mirage ]
09. Dean Wareham (Luna / Galaxie 500) – “Holding Pattern” / Soundcloud
[ From his self-titled solo LP, due out 3/11 on Double Feature ]
10. Making Marks – “Bruises” / Soundcloud
[ From their debut full-length “A Thousand Half-Truths”, out 2/3 on Fika ]
11. Stanley Brinks & the Wave Pictures – “Orange Juice” / Soundcloud
[ From a new joint 7-inch, out earlier this week on Fika ]
12. Skeletal Shakes – “The 189” / Soundcloud
[ New music from former Standard Fare members ]
13. Quiz Kids – “I Want You To Know” / Bandcamp
[ From their “Dynamite!” LP, released 12/1/13 on February Records ]
14. Owls – “I’m Surprised” / Soundcloud
[ From the album “Two, out 3/25 on Polyvinyl ]
15. Real Estate – “Talking Backwards” / YouTube
[ From “Atlas”, their upcoming full-length, out 3/8 on Domino ]
16. +/- {PLUS/MINUS} – “The Space Between Us” / Soundcloud
[ From their next LP, “Jumping The Tracks”, due 2/4 on Teen-Beat ]
17. The Notwist – “Kong” / YouTube
[ From their upcoming “Close to the Glass” LP, arriving 2/25 on Sub Pop ]

Set Two / Brad Almanac / 11pm – midnight

18. Cosmicide – “Talos Corpse” / Soundcloud
[ New project from Brandon Curtis (Secret Machines) ]
19. Tancred – “The Ring” / YouTube
[ Jess from Now Now’s solo project, LP released last October ]
20. Tokyo Police Club – “Hot Tonight” / Soundcloud
[ From their upcoming “Forcefield” LP, out 3/25 on Mom & Pop ]
21. Dum Dum Girls – “Rimbaud Eyes” / Soundcloud
[ From the “Too True” full-length, out next Tuesday on Sub Pop ]
22. Guided By Voices – “Littlest League Possible” / Soundcloud
[ From the forthcoming “Motivational Jumpsuit” LP, out 2/18 on GBV, Inc. ]
* 23. Krill – “Steve Hears Pile in Malden and Bursts Into Tears” / Bandcamp
[ Title track from their upcoming EP, due out 2/18 on Exploding In Sound ]
24. Solids – “Haze Away” / Soundcloud
[ From their “Blame Confusion” LP, arriving 2/18 on Fat Possum ]
* 25. Split Squad – “Now Hear This” / Soundcloud
[ Title track from their just-released debut full-length ]
* 26. Mike Gent – “Last Boat To Japan” / Bandcamp
[ From the recently-released 4th solo LP by the Figgs’ vocalist/guitarist ]
27. Fuzz – “Til the End of the Day” (Kinks cover) / Bandcamp
[ From a new split 7-inch with CCR Headmaster ]
28. Nothing – “Dig” / Bandcamp
[ From their “Guilty Of Everything” LP, coming 3/4 on Relapse ]
* 29. Grass Is Green – “Big Dog Tee Shirt Birthday Weekend” / Soundcloud
[ From their just-released “Vacationy Vinny” LP on Exploding In Sound ]
* 30. Speedy Ortiz – “Everything’s Bigger” / Soundcloud
[ Off their upcoming “Real Hair” EP, due on 2/11 via Carpark Records ]
31. Blood Red Shoes – “An Animal” / YouTube
[ From their self-titled next full-length, due 3/3 on Jazz Life / UK ]
32. Howler – “Don’t Wanna” / YouTube
[ Off of their “World of Joy” LP, scheduled for 3/25 on Rough Trade ]
33. Swervedriver – “Deep Wound” / Bandcamp
[ From a forthcoming full-length, due out sometime this year ]
34. Built To Spill – “Jokerman” (Bob Dylan cover) / Download
[ From a new Dylan tribute/covers compilation ]
35. Mogwai – “Hexon Bogon” / Soundcloud
[ From their (amazing) just-released new LP, “Rave Tapes”, on Sub Pop ]
36. Sleepy Sun – “Outside” / Soundcloud
[ From the upcoming full-length “Maui Tears”, out next week on Dine Alone ]
* 37. Gem Club – “Hypericum” / Soundcloud
[ From their sophomore LP, “In Roses”, out next week on Hardly Art Records ]

If all goes according to plan (and why wouldn’t it?), the next New Music Night will take place in March… two months closer to glorious, glorious springtime. Same night of the week, same two guys, same DJ booth, same great bar. The only thing new about it will be all the songs. Join us, why don’tcha?

[Nac Faves] My Favorite Music of 2013

Posted on January 16, 2014 at 8:18 am | No Comments

Another year down, another annual list of the long-players that soundtracked 365 days of my earthly existence. Same deal as ever: 20-ish albums (and a couple EPs), listed alphabetically rather than numerically (never liked ranking), with links to buy and shareable audio if it exists.

This time around I’ve also gotten a bit meta with a short list of my favorite year-end music lists, made by a few people whose tastes I respect and admire. Some have a bit of overlap, but they’ve each given me a few more records to check out, and hopefully they’ll do the same for you. That list follows my own faves…


My Favorite Music of 2013

(plus a couple of EPs & reissues)


Bent Shapes“Feels Weird”
[ on Father/Daughter Records ]

Stream at Bandcamp / Buy at Father/Daughter


Bottomless Pit“Shade Perennial”
[on Comedy Minus One]

Buy at Comedy Minus One


The Broken River Prophet“A Dagger and A Dove”
[self-released via Bandcamp]

Stream / Buy at Bandcamp


Neko Case
“The Worse Things Get The Harder I Fight,
The Harder I Fight The More I Love You”

[on Anti Records]

Stream at her site / Buy at Anti


Dowsing“I Don’t Even Care Anymore”
[on Count Your Lucky Stars]

Stream / Buy at Bandcamp


Ex Cops“True Hallucinations”
[on Other Music]

Stream songs at Soundcloud / Buy at Other Music


Joel RL Phelps and the Downer Trio“Gala”
[on 12XU]

Stream / Buy at 12XU


Mikal Cronin“MCII”
[on Merge]

Stream / Buy at Merge Records


Guillermo Sexo“Dark Spring”
[on Midriff Records]

Stream at Bandcamp / Buy at Midriff Records


The History of Apple Pie“Out of View”
[on Marshall Teller Records]

Stream on Soundcloud / Buy at Rough Trade


Kid Canaveral“Now That You Are A Dancer”
[on Lost Map Records]

Stream a song at Bandcamp / Buy at Lost Map Records


Krill“Lucky Leaves”
[via Bandcamp]

Stream / Buy at Bandcamp


Minor Alps“Get There”
[on Barsuk Records]

Stream songs at Soundcloud / Buy at Barsuk


Ola Podrida“Ghosts Go Blind”
[on Western Vinyl]

[MP3] Ola Podrida – “Staying In

Download 2 songs at their website / Buy at Western Vinyl


Overseas“Overseas”
[on Undertow]

Stream 2 songs at Soundcloud / Buy at Undertow


Peyton Pinkerton“Peyton Pinkerton”
[on Darla Records]

[MP3] Peyton Pinkerton – “Pharmacies and Bars

Buy at Darla


Sebadoh“Defend Yourself”
[on Joyful Noise]

[MP3] Sebadoh – “State of Mine

Stream at Bandcamp / Buy at Joyful Noise


Slowdim“Slowdim”
[via Bandcamp]

Stream / Buy at Bandcamp


Speedy Ortiz“Major Arcana”
[on Carpark Records]

Stream more at Soundcloud / Buy at Carpark Records


Superchunk“I Hate Music”
[on Merge Records]

Stream at Merge / Buy at Merge


Throwing Muses“Purgatory/Paradise”
[on It Books / Harper Collins]

Stream 3 songs at Soundcloud / Buy through Harper Collins


Yo La Tengo“Fade”
[on Matador Records]

Stream at YouTube / Buy at Matador


Elizabeth Morris“Optimism” EP
[via Bandcamp]

Stream / Buy at Bandcamp


Withered Hand“Inbetweens” EP
[via Bandcamp]

Technically late 2012, but arrived in my mailbox in early 2013, and spent too much
time in my headphones to be left out. 2014 will be Dan Willson’s year.


Unwound“Kid Is Gone” Box Set
[on Numero Group]

Stream / Buy at Numero Group

So there you have it. Put a period on the end of the messy, run-on sentence that was my twenty-thirteen.

As burned out as I inevitably get on the ever-increasing number year-end lists that flood my feed, a few in particular have risen above the pack. Take some time, dig around in the following posts, and find more music you may have missed…

A non-ordered list of favorite lists of 2013 favorites…

My previous year-end fave lists can be found here: 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, and 2001. Jeez, some of those early posts are embarrassing – not the picks, but the associated words. They could also use some serious reformatting thanks to my WordPress migration. I’ll add that to the “won’t do” “to do” list.

Finally, I can’t truly leave 2013 behind before acknowledging the loss of some favorite addictions that will be much-missed, each to varying degrees.

And so I bid a very fond farewell to Chromewaves (the best damn music blog there ever was), the Boston Phoenix (I still get the itch to grab it every Thursday), The Best Show on WFMU (counting the days until its rebirth elsewhere), and to the Lemmingtrail board (a love/loathe relationship if ever there was one). To all the people who made those things what they were, well, thanks for helping me pass the time. Onwards, upwards.

Sometime next week I’ll share up my semi-annual list of releases I’m looking forward to this year, and I’ll be spinning songs from many of them at the first New Music Night of 2014, happening next Thursday at River Gods in Cambridge, MA.

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  • BOSTON-AREA LIVE SHOW ACTION
    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

    Tuesday, December 3rd
    The Collect Pond
    Astral Bitch
    Sly Fang
    @ Notch, Brighton

    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

    Tuesday, November 10th
    EARFULL
    Writers reading. Songwriters singing.
    with authors
    Phuc Tran &
    Michael Patrick MacDonald
    and performers
    Carissa Johnson & Joe Gittleman
    with Amy Griffin & Richie Parson
    @ the Burren Back Room

    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
    Arto Vaun (record release show!)
    MK Naomi
    Sun Urchins
    @ 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

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

    Saturday, January 18th
    Thus Love
    The Vaccines
    @ the Royale

    Saturday, January 18th
    Tugboat Annie
    Arto Vaun
    Drew O'Doherty
    @ Faces Brewing

    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

    Wednesday, January 29th
    Matt Pond PA
    Anya Marina
    Bathtub Cig
    @ the Rockwell

    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

    Wednesday, February 12th
    Tobin Sprout & Bevel Web
    with the Moles/Richard Davies
    @ the Somerville Armory

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

    Thursday, February 13th
    J Mascis
    @ the Sinclair

    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

    Saturday, March 1st
    Elvis Costello & Steve Nieve
    @ the Cabot, Beverly

    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
    Horsegirl
    Free Range
    @ the Somerville Armory

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

    Friday, March 28th
    The Weather Station
    @ the Sinclair

    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

    Thursday, May 8th
    Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
    @ the Crystal Ballroom

    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

    Wednesday, July 16th
    Mekons
    Johnny Dowd
    @ City Winery

    Friday, July 18th
    Samantha Crain
    @ Warehouse XI

    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