Saturday Morning Miscellany
Posted on May 3, 2008 at 6:58 am | No Comments
Happy Free Comic Book Day, everyone. Even if you’re not a regular patron of fine graphical storytelling (well, especially if you’re not), try to take some time out today and swing by your local comic shop for a stack of freebies. For Bostonians, I recommend stopping into New England Comics on Harvard Ave if you’re in Allston, Comicopia in Kenmore if you’re going to see the Sox game, or check out the new kid on the block, Hub Comics, in Somerville’s Union Square.
Ok, so April was an action-packed blur. In my near-decade of living here in Boston, I honestly don’t believe I’ve had a month so completely crammed with things to do and places to be. Obviously that’s the opposite of a complaint, but I really need a 3-day nap. Maybe sometime before May is over…
My manic month was capped off by the Film School/Douglas Fir/Broken River Prophet show at TTs last Monday, and it was an all-out success. Sure, the crowd could have been bigger (and would have been had it not rained cats and/or dogs), but the bands were psyched, they all played really well, and from what I could tell the crowd was very into it. Got a lot of nice (and unexpected) feedback on the songs I had spun between sets, and gave away a whole bunch o’ merch. Many thanks to the bands for playing (and for those, uh, bonus drink tickets), and to TTs of course. Good times.
I recorded all three sets with each band’s permission, and will be sharing ’em up at some point if they like ’em enough. For now, have a look at Film School‘s brand new video for “Compare“.
Congrats to reader Mark in Cambridge, whose name I picked for the two guest list spots for tomorrow night’s Wye Oak show at Great Scott. A show well worth checking out, and arrive early for the openers, who include Drew O’Doherty and Hands & Knees.
How odd is it that in 2008 I can write this?: I’ve got my My Bloody Valentine tickets. Yeah, I snagged a couple passes to the September Catskills, NY installment of All Tomorrow’s Parties, with MBV curating one incredible lineup. Aside from the headliners, the stuff I’m most psyched for are Built to Spill performing the entirety of “Perfect From Now On” (“There’s Nothing Wrong With Love” would’ve made me marginally happier, but I’m still excited), Mogwai, Low, Polvo, Shellac, Tortoise playing their best album, and Autolux. Just a four-hour drive from Boston, and I’ve already put in for the time off. Joyous.
Speaking of Autolux, their long-awaited next release is on the horizon, and the first single is now up on their MySpace page, both for streaming and for purchase (it’ll be on iTunes soon). “Audience No. 2” is our first taste of the full-length “Transit Transit”, which will be out sometime later this year.
In advance of their upcoming album, “El Rey”, The Wedding Present has shared a couple new songs on their MySpace page: Lead off track “Santa Ana Winds” and an alternate mix of first single “The Thing I Like Best About Him Is His Girlfriend“. “El Rey” is out on Manifesto in North America on May 20th.
Hey, Bostoners: How about some free live music to go with your free comics this (postponed until next) weekend? The 25th annual MayFair festival is tomorrow, Sunday, May 4th next weekend, Sunday, May 11th in Harvard Square (barring any manhole fires), and along with all the food and merch vendors we’ll be treated to a bunch of varied performances, including sets from Hallelujah the Hills (@ 4pm) and Girls, Guns, & Glory (@ 3pm). Full schedule here.
The lineup for the 2008 edition of the Boston-(well, technically Arlington)-based Brainwaves Festival has been announced, and it’s a doozy. Brainwashed proprietor Jon Whitney has pulled together a slew of notable artists for the late-November fest, including Meat Beat Manifesto, Matmos, Stars of the Lid, A Place to Bury Strangers, Marissa Nadler, His Name Is Alive, and many, many more. Weekend passes are available now right here.
I’ve got a massive list of links and info to share, as usual, but I’ll fire this one off in the interest of timeliness. So, remember, your weekend todo list: Get some free comics, buy your Brainwaves passes, go see HtH outside tomorrow (postponed until next) Sunday afternoon, then head to Great Scott for the Wye Oak show to finish it off. Got it? Good.
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