As promised a couple weeks back in my Faves of 2011 post, I have extra vinyl editions of two of those fine records to grant to some lucky souls. And they couldn't be more different: Camp Radio's "Campista Socialista" full-length and Idaho's "You Were A Dick" LP. A blast of Canadian trio power-pop and one man's LA-based, keyboard-driven melancholia.

As I started prepping this giveaway this morning, Chromewaves happened to post a review of the Camp Radio album (confluence!), so head over there to read Frank's thoughts, then come back here to try and win the sucker. If you're not convinced you want it, head to Bandcamp and stream away. Here's a track...


And if you're not already familiar with Idaho's extensive discography, well, you've got a lot of listening ahead of you. Start by trying to win "You Were A Dick", then you'll want to head back to the beginning with 1993's brilliant "Year After Year". Here's the title track off YWAD...


You can thank Camp Radio guitarist Chris Page for the 2 vinyl copies I've got to hand out (each of which include a digital download code), and you can blame thank the U.S. postal service for the Idaho vinyl - my original order got very lost in the mail, only showing up after singer/songwriter Jeff Martin sent me out a replacement (a replacement that also includes a bonus data DVD of hi-res audio). Graciously, Jeff was cool with my giving the extra away rather than mailing it back to him.

To enter: send an email in my direction [giveaways (at) bradleysalmanac (dot) com] before next Monday, February 6th, at Noon, specify which vinyl LP you'd like (Camp Radio or Idaho), and include your postal address (US/Canada only, and don't worry, I won't share it). On Monday I'll pick three random winners - two for the Camp Radio vinyl and one for the Idaho - then head to the post office.

Labels: giveaways

Here's a giveaway that's been very long in the posting... since Autumn, in fact, when Kristin Hersh's debut memoir, "Rat Girl" was published in the U.S. and I started putting together this little contest to mark the occasion. Life got in the way, Kristin kept planning more cool stuff I thought I'd wait for, and I kept saying "next week". Well, next week is now - time to get this very special package in the mail to one of you. Read on (and on) for details on what you could win and how to enter, as I recall my reaction to reading K's book over a few long-since-passed Fall days...

---

Sitting here on a barstool trying to write, but I've got Kristin Hersh's very first book, a recollection of her tumultuous 18th year on Earth entitled "Rat Girl", sitting on the bar next to me. So I'm torn. Torn because I need to come up with words to accompany this giveaway, but I mostly just want to finish this mind-sparking book. I'm almost finished with it, and it's the very definition of a "painful-to-put-down" read; not because it's a suspenseful action-thriller, or course (although there is action - and thrills!) but because you want to know the next thoughts and bits of life-history that will tumble out of her once-upon-a-brain. Pages full of striking words, perfectly-insightful little mineral deposits that start as small piles and build towards major claims. Infinitely rewarding when you cash in.

Anyone who knows me in real life, or knows me from the over-sharing I've done on this site, knows of my deep appreciation for the songwriter, guitarist, and human being that is Kristin Hersh. I could gush, though I've done plenty of that. I could share stories of how she has both directly and indirectly impacted my own lifestory, but I'll refrain. Simply said, she means an awful lot to me, and so does the art she's been sending into the world for the last 25-or-so years. I've been listening to what she has to say, mostly in lyrics backed by exceptional music, for a couple decades now, half of my own life. Her words rarely fail to reach me, even when near-indecipherable or too obtuse to decode. Even her between-song-banter at live shows strikes a chord in me, revealing someone with a remarkable ability to toss thought-provoking gems into a crowd.

It's much more recently that I've felt the power of those words when they stand on their own, through her own blog posts or when guesting on other sites around the web. I always thought she might have one hell of a good book inside of her, and whaddya know, she damn well did. It exists in "Rat Girl", and for example, here's one of my favorite parts so far, about Betty Hutton, a one-time bonafide Hollywood Movie Star (tm), who Kristin befriended in college...

"Betty grew up in the golden age of Hollywood, back when movies were Broadway on film, so her idea of music is 'singing as entertainment,' and you can't call what I do singing or entertainment. I hiss and yell and wail. Sometimes I make seagull noises, unfortunately. Music is something I have almost no control over. Like well-rehearsed Tourette's.

When Betty sings, she sits at a piano and says lovely things about hope and broken hearts. I often sing phonetically, as if I don't speak English. The words climb out of my throat and into my mouth. Then I have to spit them out.

Betty sings about starlight and champagne. I sing about dead rabbits and blow jobs. When I say playing music is owning violence, she says it's owning love; when I say it's math, she says it's tap dancing; when I say it's my gun, she says it's her dance card.

I've also noticed that she sings notes that go with the chords in her songs. I have yet to do that. It sounds pretty when Betty does it; it sounds boring and goofy when I do it. So I make up new notes, ones that don't belong anywhere near the chords I'm playing, and I sing those. People must think, It's so nice of them to let that deaf girl sing."

Kristin's relationship with Betty is perhaps the heart of the book, and it's got a very strong beat. Betty comes and goes during that long year, but mostly she stays, with Kristin and with you, and with me long after the you're done reading. It's a life-altering connection between to very different souls, and it speaks fiercely. There's so much simply beauty in it to be found...

Betty: "Aren't movies wonderful? Beautiful people living beautiful lives."

Kristin: "For seven bucks? They're just pretending. I'd rather watching real people living real lives for free."

That's what this book gives you. Real Lives. And for longtime fans of Kristin's first band, Throwing Muses, there are little easter eggs - not-so-hidden surprises that pop-up during Kristin's story - that will no doubt make you smile. Within the memoir's very first paragraph, she writes about a cross hanging the wall of an apartment she used to crash in, and a Jesus nailed to it with fish-like scales. A song will come into your head...

"I have a fish nailed to a cross on my apartment wall."

For Muses fans, that's a seminal line, from the band's "Fish". It immediately reveals that Kristin lyrics, as unearthly as they often felt, were very much grounded in her own very surreal world.

Later in the book, a sidewalk talk with a mohawk-sporting, tie-wearing, pamphlet-wielding kid on a Providence street corner. As their conversation, and Kristin's recounting of it, starts to include phrases like "smack freak" and "blame society" and "the holocaust", you're suddenly inside the beautiful genesis of a major piece of Muses history - the birthplace of the disturbingly anthemic "Hate My Way". Reading that page gave me chills.

It's not just the Throwing Muses ephemera that connects, though. If you're not yet a fan, but a fan of music, there's much more to be found. Little pearls of wisdom within...

"I don't listen to much music. The more you love music, the less music you love, 'cause you get picky -- we take our religion seriously. Bad music is angrifying and good music is so painfully intense."

---

Last July, I wrote about Kristin's wonderful art-book/album combo, "Crooked", previewed the arrival of "Rat Girl", and mentioned a bunch of other recorded projects she had in the works. I also said something to the effect of "2010 is a great year to be a Kristin Hersh fan", not knowing that 2011 would be equally rewarding, maybe moreso.

And so, in honor of the remarkably productive phase that Kristin finds herself in, I'm pulled together a bundle of greatness to pass along to one reader...


What you see above is a copy of the "Crooked" album/book, along with copy of "Rat Girl" that Kristin signed, the debut disc from her rock trio 50 Foot Wave, and a limited-edition (and long-since unavailable) t-shirt commemorating Kristin's 2007 live appearance at the Brattle Theatre with her longtime bandmate, step-sister, solo artist, and former Belly frontwoman, Tanya Donelly.

If you want a shot at having all that merch in your mailbox, send an message to giveaways [at] bradleysalmanac [dot] com with "KH" in the subject line. Include your full name and city of residence (North American residents only, unfortunately), and get it to my inbox before next Monday evening, May 2nd, at 5pm. That's when I'll pick the winner and contact them for a mailing address. Simple as that.

For more on Kristin, "Rat Girl", and her ongoing musical output, here's a wealth of links...

Kristin has been doing multimedia performances for "Rat Girl" (titled "Paradoxical Undressing in the UK), and you can watch an 8-minute trailer / short-film that gives you a taste of both the performance and the book. The U.S. premiere of this spoken word/music/video took place earlier this month at The Getty Center in Los Angeles, so I'm hoping an East Coast / Boston edition is in the works (Brattle? ICA?).

If you remain unconvinced that you should be reading "Rat Girl", this might do the trick: Read the book's introduction and first 3 chapters thanks to Penguin, Kristin's U.S. publisher. Order it straight from them while you're there, or pick it up from Amazon.

Yes, there's a Throwing Muses album in the works, and you can download a whole bunch of K solo demos at the Throwing Muses' CASH Music site. The album is entirely fan-funded, and you can make a donation while you're over there. Here's one of my favorites - can't wait to hear what drummer Dave Narcizo and bassist Bernard Georges add to this track...

[MP3] Throwing Muses / Kristin Hersh - "Bluff / Bluffy" (solo KH demo)

Kristin and Throwing Muses have been releasing, for free, very special aural accompaniments to "Rat Girl" entitled The Season Sessions. These are old Muses songs, entirely re-recorded as acoustic versions, released in batches each season. Fall, Winter, and Spring so far, one remaining. Something this unique probably deserves a 'Nac post all its own, and it speaks to how much K has going on that it has become just a footnote to this one.

Pick up the gorgeous artbook/CD edition of her most recent solo album, "Crooked", from the Book Depository, or get the disc alone straight from her Throwing Music site. Here's a track from it...

[MP3] Kristin Hersh - "Rubidoux"

K's trio 50 Foot Wave has been rolling along as well, and lucky us, they've decided share their most recent work, "With Love From The Men's Room", via CASH Music as well. The album is being released track-by-track on their site, with the first two ("Radiant Addict" and "Grey") already up and ready to grab. Here's Part 1...

[MP3] 50 Foot Wave - "Radiant Addict"

New online literary magazine User Furniture Review posted an excellent interview with Kristin last month, so take a read and have a look around the rest of the site while you're there. Well worth exploring.

More Rat Girl-related press / interviews / reviews at the Huffington Post, KEXP (which focuses on the book's fantastic Gilbert Hernandez cover), the Boston Globe (review / interview), NPR (which has audio and another excerpt from "Rat Girl").

Last August, Kristin visited the Manhattan Barnes & Noble for their Upstairs on the Square series, and you can watch the entire hour-long reading / performance / interview.

And finally, check out a very recent video interview with Kristin courtesy of the just-launched Rock Book Show website.

Alright, get with the emailing - this present needs a happy home.

Labels: giveaways

This coming Monday, singer/guitarist Corin Tucker brings her new songs and backing band to Boston as part of her first-ever East coast solo tour, and I'm probably one of the few people more excited about her drummer than the former (and hopefully future) Sleater-Kinney member herself. Sure, when I heard Corin was working on her first album of solo material since S-K's 2006-announced "indefinite hiatus", I was pretty curious to hear the results, but curiosity became excitement after I learned who was behind the kit in her new band: Unwound's Sara Lund. As a longtime Unwound fanatic (one who considers their 2001 swansong, "Leaves Turn Inside You", to be the first pure musical masterpiece of the 21st century, no foolin'). I always found Sara's drumming to be an integral part of that band's particular genius, and have been waiting too long to see her play live (since 2001, in fact, when Unwound had to cancel their final Boston show on... 9/11). That wait ends shortly on the Paradise's recently-relocated stage.

Not only will we be seeing the Marshall Corin Tucker Band play songs from the just-released debut, "1000 Years", but we get two openers who will do more than just kill time: Sara Lund's other project, Hungry Ghost, will play after Aussie-pop-wunderkind Darren Hanlon kicks off the night. Seriously, I wouldn't miss a single minute of this show.

Wanna go? Send me a email at giveaways [at] bradleysalmanac [dot] com before Noon on Monday the 25th, and keep that night free in case you're the randomly-chosen winner. Use "CTB!" as the subject, include your full name and town of residence, and keep a good friend on speed-dial so you can invite them as your guest. The winner will be on the list with a +1 Monday evening.

Here's a track from the Corin Tucker Band's "1000 Years", Darren Hanlon's latest video, and make sure you hit Hungry Ghost's MySpace page to aurally prepare as well. Even if you don't win (get tix here), I hope to see lots of you there...

Labels: giveaways

My complete inability to make timely Almanac updates has resulted in my giving short-shrift to this most-excellent of giveaways: A pair of tickets to tomorrow night's Teenage Fanclub show at the Royale here in Boston. So this is going to be a quick one, with no dilly-dallying: You'll need to enter by following the easy instructions below before 4 o'clock this very afternoon, and I'll let you know toot-sweet.

Joining the Scottish rock legends are their ace Merge Records labelmates from LA, Radar Bros. (making this the second all-Merge show at the Royale this week, after Tuesday's killer Superchunk / Versus team-up). I caught Radar Bros. live for the first time last summer at the XX Merge festivities down in North Carolina, and while they were one of the few Merge bands I was relatively unfamiliar with, I walked away a pretty big fan. And despite my being a Teenage Fanclub fan since, oh, 1991, I've never had a chance to see them play. The time has come.

Each band has a new album to hawk - Teenage Fanclub released "Shadows" back in June, and The Radar Bros. gave us "The Illustrated Garden" in March. Both records are part of what has become an all-around banner year for Merge, and can sit proudly alongside the higher-profile Arcade Fire and Superchunk releases.

To catch tomorrow night's show for free, send off a quick email to giveaways [at] bradleysalmanac [dot] com (subject: Royale Teenage Radar). Include your city of residence, be sure you're free on Saturday night, and get it to me by 4pm today. Shortly thereafter, I'll drop the winner an email, and it'll be their job to ask (or make) a friend to join them. Piece of pie. Easy as cake.

Labels: giveaways

It's 2010, and both Superchunk and Versus have just given us albums that can sit proudly on the shelf beside the best work in their discographies. How about that? With both bands pretty much silent for the past decade or so, there were plenty of times I might've bet against them ever coming back - so when whispers of studio time and potential release plans surfaced over the past year, well, to say I was pleasantly surprised would be an understatement. Less of a surprise? That these new records rank among my faves of the year. Welcome back, you guys.

Bostonians will be able to welcome back both bands in person this Tuesday the 21st, as the Merge Records labelmates team up for a theatre-district show at the Royale. Thanks to Bowery Presents Boston, who book bands at the venue, I've got two sets of two guest list spots each to hand out.

To enter, fire off a quick email to giveaways [at] bradleysalmanac [dot] com before Noon on Tuesday, and write "SUPERCHUNK + VERSUS!" in the subject line. Include your full name and city of residence, and I'll randomly pick two winners when the clock strikes 12. Those two winners will be notified immediately, and each will get to bring a guest to the Royale that night. If you enter, make sure you keep your Tuesday evening free, just in case. And if you don't enter, well, I'm assuming it's because you already bought tickets. We're very lucky to have these bands on active duty again, not only giving us new songs, but sharing a stage in our little town. This is going to be a special one.

Visit Superchunk's newly revamped website (and pay close attention to one of the rotating photos at the top of the page) for more tour dates, have a look at this excellent Versus fan site, and check out Bowery Presents Boston on the web, Facebook, and Twitter to get the word on upcoming shows at the Royale and elsewhere.

Labels: giveaways

This Friday, the traveling roadshow that is Broken Social Scene hits Lansdowne Street for a show at the Boston House of Blues. Any appearance by this Canadian collective is worth noting, but this night's got something special: Chicago smooth-rock masters The Sea and Cake open up. Which means musical genius John McEntire won't even have to leave the stage, as he's pulling double-duty in both his own band and BSS (whose latest album, "Forgiveness Rock Record", he produced and plays on).

Thanks to Live Nation, two guest list spots will go to a randomly chosen Almanac reader, assuming that random area reader sends an email titled "Forgive Me!" to giveaways [at] bradleysalmanac [dot] com. Include your full name and town of residence, and make sure it hits my inbox by Thursday, 9/16, at 2pm EST. If I pull your email out of the virtual hat, I'll let you know that afternoon, giving you one day to secure yourself a co-pilot.

Here, stream the new BSS "All To All" remixes or watch the new video as you fire off your entry, and be sure to buy your own tickets if you don't end up the winner...

Labels: giveaways

This coming Saturday, June 26th at Great Scott, Wheat will take the stage after Allston's own The Beatings - an unenviable task that is essentially a win-win for anyone in the crowd. The better the Beatings, the more pressure on Wheat to keep things rocking, but I'm pretty sure they're up to the task.

I've been a Wheat fan for over a decade now, watched as they entered and emerged from the dark tunnel of the quote-unquote recording industry, and I'm damn grateful the guys are still around, still writing and releasing songs (their latest is last year's "White Ink, Black Ink"), and still gracing area clubs with the occasional live show. Can't be easy being a long-distance Wheat fan, fingers constantly crossed that they'll journey back your way someday, so we here in Boston are obliged to pack these random gigs on their behalf.


Thanks to the band, I've got a pair of guest list spots to help do just that on Saturday, along with a swanky new Wheat t-shirt (shown below) for the winner. Rather than pick an entrant at random, this time there's a bit of a catch: Wheat trivia! Yup, drummer/keyboardist Brendan Harney has a question for you, so you'll need to put on your thinking cap (or, um, spend 30 seconds on Google) before you fire off an email to giveaways [at] bradleysalmanac [dot] com. Include your full name in the note, and write the answer to this in the subject line...

Q: What Cameron Crowe movie was Wheat's "Don't I Hold You" in?

I'll pick someone from all the correct answers received before Noon this Friday, June 25th, and let them know that they'll be on the Great Scott guest list with a plus one on Saturday night. Arrive early, not just to catch The Beatings as well, but for sets from Foredoes Me Quite and Joe Touchette III.


Tickets for the show are available here, or at Great Scott.

Here's a live Wheat MP3 I shared awhile back, a Daft Punk cover from one of their previous stops at Great Scott...

Labels: giveaways

Geez... four giveaways in a row. Five if you count le Twitter. I'm either wicked generous, or a mere promotional tool, depending on your point of view. But I wouldn't be handing out this stuff if it wasn't from bands I'm genuinely into, so there's that. I will, in fact, have actual non-contest content soon. I hope.


Today brings the release date of "The Chaos", the fourth album from Sunderland, England quartet The Futureheads, which means their 'new album every two years' trend is right on schedule. Finely-tuned clockwork, they've got. Hard to believe their super-sharp self-titled debut came out way back in '04... that album pretty much knocked me on my ass (sorry, 'arse'), hitting me during a brief 'sick of music' phase, and was a much-needed dose of ultra-catchy, harmony-laden goodness. Tight, snappy, back-to-basics English pop-punk, with that killer Kate Bush cover thrown in for great measure. Loved it, still do.

The two albums since, while having their respective individual high points, haven't done as much for me as a whole... they seemed a bit more studied, not quite as brash, and perhaps suffered from my own high expectations. There's nothing like that first surprise, you know? But my initial 2004 crush, the good songs they've been stacking up, and their generally excellent live shows will keep me coming back.

After a few listens, I can safely say that album number four feels like a frenetic, energy-crammed return to form. It kicks quickly into high gear and pretty much stays there, the harmonies sound fresh again, and many of the tracks get you thinking "Man, I bet this would be even better live..." straight away.

A quick 10-date North American tour starts tonight in Brooklyn, and hits the Paradise in Boston this coming Monday, June 7th. A pair of guest list spots goes to one lucky sod who emails me by Noon this Friday, so send off a quick one to giveaways [at] bradleysalmanac [dot] com before then, title it "F'HEADS @ PARADISE", and include your city of residence. The singular condition: You'd better damn well be able to make it to the show. No wasties allowed. I'll email the winner on Friday.

I'll leave you with the first promo track from the album, which also happens to be one of my faves, courtesy of Dovecote Records, the band's excellent U.S. label...

[MP3] The Futureheads - "Struck Dumb"

For tickets of your very own to see the lads next week (with LA-based openers The Like), head here, or to the 'Dise box office to skip the extra charges.

Labels: giveaways

When it was announced that singer/guitarist/eccentric-genius Robyn Hitchcock would be making a special appearance when Jonathan Demme was given the Coolidge Award at Brookline's Coolidge Corner Theatre earlier this year, I had no idea what we'd be in for. I was already looking forward to seeing Demme in the flesh as he introduced his latest live concert doc ("Neil Young Trunk Show"), so getting what was rumored to be "a short set" from Mr. Hitchcock (a frequent Demme collaborator) was just about the best bonus ever. Well, his set certainly was short. A single song, in fact.

Hey, I'm not complaining - the new song, "Born On The Wind" off his most recent album with the Venus 3, "Propellor Time", was a keeper. And a little Hitchcock does go a long way... but even after a I see a full length RH set, I'm left wanting more. So when he quit the stage too quickly, I was in my seat wishing he'd get back up there.

Well, it took a few months, but my wish is coming true. On Tuesday, June 8th, Robyn Hitchcock returns to the Coolidge for a solo show, and I'm pretty well thrilled. Seems he must have felt pretty comfortable up there on that Brookline stage, considering how quickly he's coming back. It's the first of just four dates he's booked this spring (and his first area show since he performed "I Often Dream Of Trains" as a trio in Somerville in late '08), with two nights in Toronto and one in western Massachusetts to follow. We should consider ourselves lucky, to say the least, so here's hoping we can pack the place for the man.

To help do just that, the Coolidge crew has generously given me 5 pairs (yes, five) of tickets to hand out to 'Nac readers. Easily the most tix I've been able to give away for a single show, that's for sure. I'll be doling out three pair the usual way (from emailed entries), and the others on Twitter over the next few days. And yeah, feel free to enter each one separately to increase yer chances.

The email details: Send a message to giveaways [at] bradleysalmanac [dot] com before Noon this Friday, June 4th. Use "Visible Hitchcock" as the subject, include your full name, and make sure you can be at the show on Tuesday, June 8th. I'll pick three random winners who will each have a pair of tickets waiting for them at the box office that night.

For the Twitter giveaway, keep an eye on my account tomorrow, and again on Thursday, when I'll be randomly tweet a message that says "First person to reply gets a pair of tickets to Robyn Hitchcock at the Coolidge on 6/8". Which, y'know, is pretty self-explanatory.

For non-free tickets to the show, click over to the Coolidge, or visit their Brookline box office. The other dates on Robyn's short tour are...

June 8th at the Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline
June 9th at the Iron Horse in Northampton, MA
June 11th + 12th, 2010 at the Drake Hotel in Toronto

Other goings-on in Hitchcock's world...

Every few months, he lets loose a free digital single that he's calling a "Phantom 45". Each two song download is free for a short time after they get posted, after which you can buy them from his web store (and they're pretty top-notch so far). He's put up two 45s (four songs) already, with the third pair arriving on July 15th, so the cost-conscious should keep an eye on this page to score the freebie.

When Robyn played at the aforementioned Jonathan Demme event, Demme gave audience members free reign to film the performance, after which he said "something will happen" with the footage - ideally it would be compiled, edited from all those involved, and shared for fans. Well, it was never really made clear how that would happen, but fortunately Bostonian Mr. Bill T. Miller was in attendance, and he's shared his own edited footage right here.

Robyn recently took part in the excellent "Black Cab Sessions" video series, performing "Born On The Wind" for them as well, and here are the results...

It's been a long time since I've seen a live show, rather than a film, inside the Coolidge (anyone else remember the stunning Ida/Low double-bill years back?), so I'm really hoping this gig signals a new trend. Make it so, Coolidge.

Alright, send off those emails, keep an eye on my Twitter, and look out for a couple more 'Nac giveaways this week.

Labels: giveaways

This weekend, two men responsible for subjecting us to almost 100 televised episodes of the generally inane (and usually hilarious) exploits of a trio of cartoon food products come to Boston to do it for real. Yes, on Sunday night at the Wilbur Theatre, we will bear witness to Aqua Teen Hunger Force: Live!.

The month-long, cross-country tour is in its final week, and from all reports it's a mish-mosh of madness. We'll certainly get to hear series co-creator Dave Willis perform as Meatwad and Carl (good money says uber-Giants-fan Carl will profanely trash the Pats), and Dana Snyder should give us a healthy dose of cranky Master Shake, but the real question is: Will they bring up the infamous 2007 Boston Mooninite Invasion? Here's hoping. Check out this new Weekly Dig interview with Dave + Dana for the likelihood. And be sure to keep an eye out for Zebbler in the crowd on Sunday.

Thanks to the Wilbur, and in cooperation with the Weekly Dig crew, I've not only got some tickets to give away to the show (one pair of which were handed out yesterday through my Twitter feed), but a pretty sweet ATHF prize pack. Behold...


Yup, that's the first three seasons of Aqua Teen Hunger Force on DVD, along with your very own inflatable Meatwad, a Meatwad stress ball, and two tickets to the Wilbur on Sunday night. We'll pick one winner from all entrants through the Almanac and the Dig, and I'll draw my own second winner from the 'Nac-only submissions who will get yet another pair of tickets to the Sunday show.

To enter: Send an email to giveaways [at] bradleysalmanac [dot] com entitled "ATHF!" before 10pm tomorrow (Thursday) night, and make sure you include your full name and city of residence. A couple of conditions, though - 1) You must live in the Boston area, or at least be in town for the show on Sunday night, and 2) By entering you agree to have your email addy added to the Wilbur Theatre and Daily Dig E-Newsletters. Have no fear, though, I'm already on 'em, and they won't share your address with 3rd-party spammers. Winners will be chosen on Friday and notified no later than 2 o'clock that afternoon.

Get tickets of your own to the show right here, and here's a special heads-up for Boston-area students - starting on Friday you can save $5 on ATHF:Live! tickets if you bring your student ID with you to the Wilbur Theatre box office on Tremont Street. That's an extra $5 you can use to pay for a sweet ride in Carl's levitating car.

Labels: giveaways

A gift for one of my Boston-based readers, courtesy of the now-officially-underway Independent Film Festival and Warner Bros. Records' new all-vinyl online record store, Because Sound Matters.

This Sunday evening, the IFFB will be hosting the New England premiere of the Stephin Merritt / Magnetic Fields documentary "Strange Powers" at the Brattle, and not only do I have a pair of screening tickets to hand out, but I've got an accompanying slab of twelve-inch wax to sweeten the deal: A pressing of the band's latest album, "Realism", on vinyl, with an accompanying compact disc inside for easy transport.

So, if you were thinking this whole (very much welcomed) vinyl resurgence thing was a passing phase, well, the WB opening BecauseSoundMatters.com might just put those doubts to rest. The mega-corp has done more than dip a toe in the pond, they dove in and started a site solely devoted to black platters, offering up exclusives, pre-orders, and yes, even apparel. In a time when the big boys are cutting back, the Warners have put some money and promo muscle behind vinyl, and that's saying something. If you know me, and this site, then you know I'm not one for banner ads. But allow me to give out free Magnetic Fields vinyl to someone? Well, ok, ya got me.

Live near Boston? Want to see that screening for free with a friend? Want that MF vinyl? If the word "Yes" just popped into your head three times in a row, then here's what you need to do: Send an email to giveaways [at] bradleysalmanac [dot] com titled "Yeah! Oh, Yeah!" before Noon sharp this Saturday, April 24th. That's when I'll pick a random winner, get their mailing address, and put their name on a couple passes to the 7:30pm screening of "Strange Powers: Stephin Merritt and the Magnetic Fields" at Harvard Square's wonderful Brattle Theatre. Just make sure you're free that night before you enter so the tix don't go to waste. Given the band's Boston roots, it'll likely sell out.

Have a look at the film's official site, and the trailer.

Labels: giveaways, iffb

Another post, another giveaway. One of these days I'll get around to posting actual content instead of just handing out free stuff. Not that the winners are complaining, mind you...


This Saturday night, being the 10th of April, 2010, Mr. Ted Leo and his fellow Pharmacists come back to Boston to showcase tracks from their first full-length for Matador Records, "The Brutalist Bricks". But instead of hitting their usual spot downstairs at the Middle East, they're back at the Paradise for the first time since 2006. And to headline a pretty killer lineup: White hot power trio Screaming Females (whose frontwoman, Marissa Paternoster, blew me away with her guitar work last year opening for Throwing Muses) and the excellent Obits (anchored by former Hot Snakes/Jehu singer/guitarist Rick Froberg). Either of those bands could've headlined their own Boston-area shows, so the fact that we get to see all of them in one night, on one stage, is a minor musical miracle. Something not to be taken for granted.

The show is very nearly sold-out, but I've got a pair of tickets to bequeath to a loyal reader (or, really, any casual surfer-by) thanks to LiveNation. Instructions are as usual - send a digital note to giveaways [at] bradleysalmanac [dot] com before 1pm on Friday, two short days from now. Just put "Pick (Timorous) Me!" in the subject field and let me know what town you live in, then on Friday I'll randomly choose and contact a winner who will be on Saturday night's Paradise guest list with a +1 for a pal.

Tickets of your own can be purchased here (for the moment), or at the 'Dise box office if you hurry. Oh, and be safe by arriving early to the show, so you don't miss a moment of either opener.

Parting gifts...

[INTERVIEW] The Village Voice shares a recent chat with Mr. Leo

[VIDEO] Ted + the Pharmacists do Tears For Fears' "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" for the AV Club's "Undercover" series

[MP3] Ted Leo + the Pharmacists - "Everybody Wants To Rule The World"

Labels: giveaways

Well, hello there. Miss me? Wait, don't answer that.

If you've been following the ol' 'Nac Twitter feed, you are well aware of the fact that I've been sojourning in sunny San Francisco for the past week or so. The highlight and primary reason for my trip? Slumberland's 20th Anniversary bash at the Rickshaw Stop. One word summary? "Wow". More later.

Boston was rainy when I left, and rainier when I returned. Thanks, home state! You sure know how to welcome a boy back. Ugh.

I'll ease back into the blogging by giving you free stuff. Admittedly, I should have posted this sooner, but I blame jetlag. Gotta blame something. Anyway, here, have some tickets and vinyl...


Oslo combo Serena Maneesh hooked me from the get go -- with one listen through their self-titled 2006 album, I was all in. When I heard that collection of post-shoegaze goodness, it was as an import, available the previous year overseas but not-yet-out in the states when they played TT the Bears in March '06. Any doubts I had that they'd be able to recreate the sonic impact of that debut in a live setting were squashed shortly after they took the stage. They brought it, they cut it into pieces, and hand delivered it to everyone there. So, so powerfully good.

Four years later, we finally get a follow-up record, this time courtesy of the esteemed 4AD label. The awkwardly titled, yet no less mind-blowing "SM 2: Abyss in B Minor", which arrived on store shelves last week, owes just as much to their shoegaze fore-bearers as their debut did, but throws in some more exciting rhythmic power (check the Moonshake-style awesomeness of "Reprobate!") and a bit more variety. It's a scorcher, start to finish, and I'm just as excited to see these songs alongside the older stuff when the band returns to TT the Bears this Sunday. Yes, this weekend. In other words, you don't have a lot of time to enter this contest, so get crackin'...

Thanks to the fine folks at the Beggars Group, I have not only a pair of TTs tickets to give away to an Almanac visitor, but a copy of an exclusive, numbered 12-inch vinyl single for the lead track, "Ayisha Abyss." Rather than give them out to one fortunate soul, I'll offer up the tickets to a random Boston-area resident, and the 12" to someone who lives too far away to make it (continental U.S. only, though). If you're feeling lucky, send an email to giveaways [at] bradleysalmanac [dot] com before 2pm on Friday. Yes, that is less than 24 hours from now. Write "SM!" in the subject field, and let me know if you'd prefer the vinyl or the tickets. Tomorrow afternoon I'll pick two random names and let them know. Ticket winner will get their name on Sunday's show guest list, and the vinyl winner will be sent the wax from Beggars. Easy enough.

For tickets of your own to the show, go here or visit TTs to save on service charges (also, make sure you get to TTs early enough to catch excellent openers The Depreciation Guild). Stream some Serena Maneesh at MySpace, or better yet, grab a couple of label-approved MP3s right here, check out a live video for "Reprobate!", or stream the album in its entirety...


The band's ongoing North American Tour continues tonight in Wisconson and heads to Canada before they arrive here on Sunday. The remaining April dates...

01: Madison, WI @ Majestic Theatre
02: Toronto, ON @ Opera House
03: Montreal, QC @ Il Motore
04: Cambridge, MA @ TT The Bears
05: Milford, CT @ Daniel Street
06: Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie
07: Washington, DC @ DC9
08: New York, NY @ Le Poisson Rouge

Alright then, get emailin', and keep an eye on your inbox tomorrow afternoon...

Labels: giveaways

After a wait of nearly four years since their breakthrough full-length, "The Trials of Van Occupanther", Midlake returned with last Tuesday's arrival of their third album, "The Courage of Others". Criticism has been wide-ranging, from unqualified raves (see the AVClub) to flat-out dismissals (from you know who), and while I fall somewhere in the middle, I'm definitely heading in the direction of 'rave'.

Though I was immediately impressed upon Van Occupanther's release, it did take awhile for its magic to truly charm me, so I'm hesitant to judge this new one too quickly. It has the disadvantage of increased expectations, and if you come looking for the catchier, more upbeat side of the band (a la signature song, "Roscoe"), you'll have to look elsewhere. The hooks here are subtler, more drawn out... sometimes hard to find at all. "The Courage Of Others" is a drastically moodier affair - the band takes a fair amount of risk within the sonic box they've placed themselves in.

During the long wait for the album I wondered, given that every review of their previous one mentioned the same 70's touchstones (Fleetwood Mac, Fairport Convention, etc), if the band took so long in an over-thought effort to reinvent themselves. Well, the answer is very simply no, but they've definitely gone darker and deeper, and are taking hits for it. For every band that tries too hard to change up their formula and fails hard, there are those that work within what they know (and what many love them for) to craft a worthy follow-up. I think that's where Midlake is at, coming up with a collection of songs that is just different enough from its predecessor to avoid redundancy, yet still rub a few followers the wrong way.


Thanks to the folks at Filter, I've got a couple copies of Midlake's "The Courage of Others" on CD to hand out to 'Nac readers. If you reside in the continental U.S., drop an email to giveaways [at] bradleysalmanac [dot] com entitled "MIDLAKE" before this coming Friday, February 12th at 9am. I'll fire up the randomizer and pick two winners that day, then get in touch for mailing addresses.


As the ceaseless (and increasingly rapid) consume/judge/move-on cycle that is today's internet-music-review-machine chews new albums up and spits 'em out, I look forward to spending the rest of the winter letting this one sink in, and to Midlake's April 9th stop in Boston near the end up their upcoming U.S. tour. I remember very distinctly their visit to TT the Bears back in 2006, playing first of three bands, and how enamored I was of their live set. They headlined both the Middle East Upstairs and then the Paradise the following year, but haven't been back since. (and thanks to Kevin in the comments for setting me straight on those headlining gigs, both of which I missed. The 'Nac intern responsible for fact-checking has been sacked)


Stream "The Courage Of Others" over at NPR, and if you're in the Boston area, stop by Newbury Comics, where I picked up the CD for a measly $7.99 (with a sticker on the front that ironically included previous praise from P4K). A nice surprise? Finding an insert inside with a download code for bonus track "Rose Of Dawn" (which easily measures up to the rest of the album) and a hi-res quicktime file of the Jason-Lee-directed teaser film above. Which could be looked at as an attempt to culturally balance out his work in the Chipmunk films.

Labels: giveaways

And just as 2009 ends on the Almanac, so does 2010 begin... with a giveaway. Hey, I'm just trying to kill time while I work on my "faves of '09" post. And you're the beneficiary. Maybe.

So 2009 was a pretty damn good year for the men of Mission of Burma: They started with an amazing January live set at the Somerville Theatre (a benefit for the Arts at the Armory), spent much of the Spring in the studio laying down their their third post-reunion album, then released "The Sound The Speed The Light" to raves in early October. Throw in a dozen or so live dates around the country throughout the year, and that sounds like a relatively normal cycle for most successful bands. But there are a couple things that set these gents apart: Other so-called successful bands don't take a 20-year break and return just as prolific (yes, the release of this album means they've officially put out more music since their rebirth than they did during their first phase), and most bands don't have their hometown naming a freakin' day after them. Top that, young upstarts.

Just as MoB kick-started our musical 2009 with a Boston-area live show, so they will again this year, this time with a two-night stand at the Paradise on Friday and Saturday, January 15th and 16th. Courtesy of LiveNation, I've got a pair of guest list spots for the Saturday night show (with openers Bunnies) to hand out to a 'Nac reader. The all-too-familiar drill: Send an email to giveaways [at] bradleysalmanac [dot] com, title it "MOB", and get it to me before, oh, let's say Wednesday the 13th at 12 noon. I'll pick one random winner and let them know shortly thereafter that they'll be on the following Saturday night's list with a +1. Sho' nuff.

Burma has a half dozen East Coast U.S. shows booked during the first couple months of the year, plus a few more in the mid-West later on, and will be playing at the first night of the Pavement-curated (and very sold-out) edition of All Tomorrow's Parties over in Minehead, UK this May. Check the full list of scheduled MoB dates right here, grab tickets to either of the Paradise shows (or a discounted 2-day pass) over here, and pick up your own copy of the excellent "The Sound The Speed The Light" from Matador. In case you haven't already heard it, here's something from the album...

[MP3] Mission of Burma - "1,2,3,Partyy!"
[VIDEO] Mission of Burma - "1,2,3,Partyy!"

Labels: giveaways

When I pull together my list of favorite albums of Oh-Nine (*spoiler alert!*) Wye Oak's "The Knot" will be on it. Hell, I knew that after just a couple of close listens. The Baltimore duo of Jenn & Andy deftly avoided a sophomore slump by taking the qualities that made their 2008 debut ("If Children") so mesmerizing and adding an extra layer of emotional depth. If their first record was a promise made, the second was a promise kept.

I've been quite lucky to see them a few times this year, not just here in Boston, but once down at the XX Merge label anniversary shindig in July, where their rich sound filled up the massive Memorial Hall at UNC. They looked so small up on that stage, though their songs were anything but. And as good as they are in any setting, I was glad to see them again up here in Cambridge shortly after, where I could get up close and let their waves wash over me.

That chance comes again this weekend when Wye Oak returns to Allston's wonderful Great Scott on the 6th, with openers Hands and Knees and St. Claire. Courtesy of the fine folks at World Music/CRASHarts, I have two pairs of tix to hand out for the Sunday night show, so fire off an email to giveaways [at] bradleysalmanac [dot] com, and make it quick... I'm taking entries for two short days. Title your note "Wye Oak!", and get it to my inbox before Noon on Friday, when I'll randomly pick two winners and email them right away. That'll give 'em the rest of the weekend to tease their friends with the extra guest list spot. The less fortunate ones? Well, they can grab tickets of their own right here, or over at Great Scott.

Labels: giveaways

I've said it before, and I'll say it here again: If forced at gunpoint to pick my favorite live show of all time, odds are I'd yell out the three-headed beast that was The Jesus Lizard, Six Finger Satellite, and Arcwelder at Metronome in Burlington, Vermont in '93. To my ears, each band was pretty close to their peak, with JL still touring on the powerful "Liar", Arcwelder playing songs from their best record ("Pull"), and 6FS supporting their revelatory Sub Pop debut. Arcwelder opened, and I briefly felt bad for any band who had to follow them... until the other two upped the energy ante. Despite my often-faulty memory, I still recall every detail of that show (and yes, unfortunately that includes David Yow's wang).

That was the first of many times I'd see the Jesus Lizard (and said wang) over the ensuing years, and they never failed to blow my mind. And now they're back. And from all reports, still bringing it (no, not the wang). I'm going to be at the Paradise here in Boston this Saturday with a huge freakin' grin on my face, especially if they play "Puss" (which they probably will), or "Whirl". Both, and I might just lose it.

Wanna come, too? Send an email to giveaways [at] bradleysalmanac [dot] com, include your full name, and throw "GIVE ME SOMETHING TO STOP THE BLEEDING!" in the subject line. Make sure it arrives in my inbox before NOON this Friday the 13th, and I'll get ahold of the random winner (who also gets to bring a guest) shortly after. The 18+ show is the following day, Saturday the 14th, and Kevin Micka's excellent Animal Hospital opens up, so arrive early. Get tickets of your own right here.

Touch & Go just released remastered versions of The Jesus Lizard's catalog, so get on that if you don't have 'em. Bassist David Wm. Sims has a pretty swanky little blog of his own called Too Big To Fail, where you can ogle some recent JL tour posters.

From the Touch & Go site, here's a (pre-remaster) Mp3 of the first cut on "Liar"...


For more, click the album covers at the T&G Jesus Lizard page, or stream some on MySpace.

Labels: giveaways

Ladies and gentlemen, Pinback is, um, back. No, not yet with a new album (their latest remains 2007's "Autumn of the Seraphs"), but with a month-long tour that brings them to Boston's Paradise this Halloween night. Without a fresh record to spotlight, I'd assume a discography-spanning setlist (and so far, show reports say so), though those same reports also reveal a distinct lack of new songs. That either means they don't yet exist, or that the band is holding 'em back until the next album arrives (said to be in 2010 by Temporary Residence, who picked them up after Touch & Go stopped releasing new music), but knowing Zach & Rob's prolificacy, I'd guess it's the latter. And yes, prolificacy is a word, despite my spellcheck telling me otherwise. Silly spellcheck.

For an opener, a real treat (and, possibly, some tricks) - killer locals Ho-Ag. Now there's a team-up for ya. Hopefully Ho-Ag will make up for Pinback's lack of new songs by sharing some of their own.

Wanna go? Wanna bring a friend? You know the drill - Email giveaways[at]bradleysalmanac[dot]com, include your full name, and throw "Pinback please" in the subject line. Make sure it arrives in my inbox before 9am this Friday the 30th, and I'll drop the random winner the good news that morning.

Oh, and about Rob & Zach Pinback's songwriting prolificacy? You know, all those other projects and solo efforts? Well, there's another jewel on that spiky crown: Mr. Armistead Burwell Smith IV (that's Zach) has at last released his long-in-the-making solo debut under the name Systems Officer, and it's a freakin' keeper. Hell, I think his "Underslept" (also out on Temporary Residence) might just end up on my faves-of-the-year list. Pinback fans, I know it's hard to keep track of their hit-or-miss offshoots, but seriously, don't let this one get lost in the stack. Make an effort, seek it out when it hits stores on Nov. 3rd (you can already download the album at iTunes), or grab one at these live shows where Zach said he'll have copies available. There are also a couple of iTunes-only non-album tracks available right here if you're game, as part of the "Shape Shifter" digital single. Here's that song, the fourth cut on "Underslept"...


You can also get a higher quality Mp3 of that one over at RCRDLBL.

Alright, now get with the contest entering. To play it safe, you might want to grab your own ticket to Pinback's Halloween gig right here, or at the Paradise Box Office between Noon and 6pm any day until the show.

Labels: giveaways

After a couple of area shows at Great Scott so far this year, Wheat hits the much-larger downstairs room of the Middle East this Saturday night. Given that both those shows were pretty well packed, the step-up in size is a very good thing, especially given the extra bodies that this weekend's supporting bands will bring: Out-of-towners Jukebox The Ghost along with locals the Motion Sick and the Needy Visions.

Thanks to the kind gents of Wheat, I've got a pair of guest list spots to dole out to one 'Nac visitor, providing that visitor drops me an email and is then randomly chosen. Entries go to giveaways [at] bradleysalmanac [dot] com, should be titled "Wheat, Please!", and must arrive before 5pm tomorrow, Friday the 23rd. Yes, the show is the next night, so I'll let the winner know right away that they've got new Saturday night plans with four excellent bands.

If you're unfamiliar with Wheat (and really, you shouldn't be), then stop over to the invaluable This Wheat website, where you can freely grab a wealth of studio and live mp3s alike. Here's a live one for you, which I recorded at one of those Great Scott shows earlier this year - a Daft Punk cover...

Labels: giveaways

Happy Mission of Burma Day, everyone! And I'm not just sayin' that - it's freakin' official. In case you hadn't heard, the Boston City Council (thanks to a resolution drafted by Councillor John Tobin, a man with apparent good taste) has declared today, being Sunday, October 4th, 2009, "Mission Of Burma Day". How about that? The text of the resolution:

WHEREAS: The City of Boston is the birthplace of some of the world's best musical acts over the last few decades; including the legendary and influential post-punk group group Mission of Burma; and

WHEREAS: Mission of Burma have been covered and acknowledged over the years by the likes of R.E.M., Nirvana, U2, Moby, Sonic Youth, The Pixies and numerous other bands since their start in 1979; and

WHEREAS: Since their reunion in 2002, Mission of Burma have continued to make inspiring music while remaining lyal to the city in which they got their start; and

WHEREAS: Mission of Burma will be releasing a new album, "The Sound The Speed The Light" on Tuesday, October 6th, 2009, THEREFORE BE IT

RESOLVED: That the Boston City Council proclaim Sunday, October 4th, 2009 as Mission of Burma day in order to recognize and celebrate the institutions that have consistently provided their city with art and entertainment.

How to celebrate? Well, at the very least, spend some time listening to a little MoB, but if you're in the Boston area, there's no better way to mark the day than a free, all-ages, outdoor show with the men of Burma themselves.


This afternoon, on MIT's Cambridge campus, the trio will take the stage (with fourth member Bob Weston hopefully at the board doing sound and tape loops) after opening performances by Eula (who earned the right to play though a 'Battle For Burma' contest) and Big Bear. The music should kick off around 2:30pm, the location is right here (take the T or your bike - parking won't be easy around there), and the doppler radar looks pretty clear. Newbury Comics will also be helping you celebrate by selling copies of the new album, "The Sound The Speed The Light", two days before it's official release date this Tuesday, so bring some extra cash as well.

Or save your cash and try your luck: In honor of the day, I'm giving away not one, but two copies of the new album on vinyl, each with a copy of the band's brand new, non-album "Innermost"/"Here It Comes" 7". Yup, two winners, two slabs of wax each. For a chance at them, you know the drill: Send an email to giveaways [at] bradleysalmanac [dot] com, title it "MoB!", and make sure it hits my inbox by 9am on Thursday the 8th (also make sure you're in the continental U.S.). As usual, I'll just pick a random name from all entrants, get in touch with them Thursday to get a mailing address, and have the label send them along.

Have yourself a good Mission of Burma Day, everyone. And Bostonians, I'll see you this afternoon...

Labels: giveaways