Music
by James Heflin | Feb 19, 2009 | Music
Over on South Street in Northampton, the Northampton Community Music Center is busy helping people, many of them kids, learn how to make music. The NCMC scholarship fund helps that happen for as many people as possible. The school offers all kinds of classes on all...
by Advocate Staff | Feb 19, 2009 | Music
Joe BonamassaThe Ballad of John Henry(Premier Artists)In a bluesy, blue-collar homage to grit and grime, Joe Bonamassa sings tales of suffering, love, and hope on The Ballad of John Henry. Shifting between blues, classic rock and prog-rock, the album offers serious...
by Advocate Staff | Feb 19, 2009 | Music
Lily AllenIt's Not Me It's You(Regal/Parlaphone)Lily Allen is one of MySpace's greatest success stories—her page boasts over 25 million profile views. With a past that's part failed slacker and part connected insider (she was raised in West...
by Gary Carra | Feb 19, 2009 | Music
The official title of Stare Down The Sun's third release is The Same Storm. But by all indicators—ranging from past precedents to the present product—the band's CD release party this Friday, Feb. 20 at Maximum Capacity has all the makings of a...
by Fraylie Nord | Feb 26, 2009 | Music
Having hosted acts from indie experimental rockers Akron Family and Jason Anderson and his should-be-at-a-campfire sing-alongs to Jesse Alexander, Hampshire College's Red Barn is a serene and lofty space that changes its character faster than a New England winter....
by Gary Carra | Feb 26, 2009 | Music
Ari Vais and his Campbell Apartment have a song called "Addicted To Myspace." And according to their Myspace (.com/thecampbellapartment), the profoundly prolific power pop trio calls The Big Apple home these days.But around these parts, Vais is still widely...
by Advocate Staff | Feb 26, 2009 | Music
Burnt FurUnfurl(New Shiner)Burnt Fur is a maddening blend of so many dance-pop/New Wave influences that it gets a bit dizzying. You can hear elements of '80s acts like The Cars, U2, The Smiths, Herbie Hancock, The Eurythmics and The Cure, with some crisp,...
by Matthew Dube | Feb 26, 2009 | Music
No Wave is a music scene of which even many ardent music fans have no knowledge. The movement—a collision of art, punk and avant-garde—lasted for only a short period, and was a self-contained and highly localized phenomenon, confined exclusively to New...
by Gary Carra | Mar 5, 2009 | Music
For some reason, all the women in the Crawler's life these days seem to be named Jen. And by life, he naturally means Facebook friends.In the Crawler's dating days, homonymously named sweethearts were a dream—it so greatly reduces the prospects of any,...
by Becky Everett | Mar 5, 2009 | Music
Eccentric Chicago rockers OK Go can add "Youtube sensation" to their list of credentials—the band's homemade music video for the single "A Million Ways" was recorded in lead singer Damien Kulash's backyard on a borrowed video camera...
by James Heflin | Mar 5, 2009 | Music
Acoustic guitarist and singer/songwriter Joel Zoss is a busy musician. He's a Valley resident, but he spends most of his time playing elsewhere. Elsewhere as in opening for B.B. King.Nonetheless, Zoss' recently released album Lila is very much a Valley affair....
by Lee Taylor | Mar 12, 2009 | Music
St. Patrick's Day comes around once a year to leave some of us hung over and in recovery. Bo Fitz and the YankCelt Band aim to chase the St. Patrick's tradition as they reunite this month for four shows. The self-proclaimed "untraditional" Celtic...
by Tom Sturm | Mar 12, 2009 | Music
Outspan may be more of a thesis project than a truly raw musical endeavor, but that doesn't keep its constituent composers from incorporating plenty of organic sounds and rhythmic loops with the bones left in. Though primarily structured in loops, both the samples...
by Gary Carra | Mar 12, 2009 | Music
As far as physical demands go, no one has ever mistaken making a new CD with, say, entering an Iron Man competition or stepping into the UFC octagon. Still, veteran Valley singer/songwriter Scott Lawson says he isn't taking any chances when it comes to the...
by Tom Sturm | Mar 12, 2009 | Music
Like to get dressed up and go dancing? Sure, there are plenty of places to go in the Valley, from Springfield to Amherst, but none quite like Diva's in Northampton. The large industrial space offers a place for the younger crowd to flaunt supple bodies as well as...
by Becky Everett | Mar 17, 2009 | Music
When Low Strung takes the stage at A.P.E. Window, the usual mics, amps and electric guitars of a classic rock cover band will be noticeably absent. The Yale-based band plucks, bows and strums its 12 cellos in groundbreaking arrangements of classic rock, pop and heavy...
by Advocate Staff | Mar 17, 2009 | Music
FenneszBlack Sea(Touch)The evocative cover of Black Sea offers a reliable representation of the music. It shows a murky strait at low tide as the water evaporates to reveal ghostly traces of a path toward a distant cityscape. The latest from electronic artist...
by Gary Carra | Mar 17, 2009 | Music
As publicist Michael Nix recalls, Co-op Concerts started out with great intentions and the simplest of mission statements."We are a community of musicians and music lovers who share creativity through live performances while promoting Franklin County as a hub of...
by Tom Sturm | Mar 17, 2009 | Music
It's not every band that opens its CD with a seven-minute, slow-grooving emotional ballad called "Sorry"—though I suppose if you open with an apology, you've got at least some amount of time or number of mistakes for which you're already...
by Ryan Duffy | Mar 17, 2009 | Music
Quietly nestled amongst various chain retailers in the Hampshire Mall, one of western Massachusetts' longest-standing record stores sits as a testament to perseverance. Platterpus Records opened in Westfield in 1978, but after 20 years there, owner Dave Witthaus...
by Ryan Duffy | Mar 26, 2009 | Music
North Street in Pittsfield gets a dose of some new noise with the opening of a premiere punk rock record shop: Rebel Sound Records. After being in the planning stages for over 10 years and after several failed attempts, the store opened its doors on March 14.Andy...
by Gary Carra | Mar 26, 2009 | Music
Where some may find a house in the middle of the woods equal parts eerie and isolated, Dan Moriarty says that he heard a call to get wild."To me, no neighbors means no one to bother, and all that is more reason to start having bands over!" the A Troop Of...
by Ryan Duffy | Mar 26, 2009 | Music
In addition to the nights of live reggae, jazz, folk, rock and open mics that the Black Moon Lounge regularly serves up, the venue also hosts Name That Tune Music Trivia Challenge. Hosted by Tom Mahnken (pictured) of Trailer Park and Unit7 fame, the game has taken...
by Mark Roessler | Mar 26, 2009 | Music
It's been a long time since Paul Olesuk has tested his trombone mettle in a competition in front of judges.As a professional musician, he plays with the Leah Randazzo Group, the Hartford Jazz Orchestra, and Komboloko, a Springfield-based salsa band. While he's...
by Advocate Staff | Mar 26, 2009 | Music
OppenheimerTake the Whole Midrange and Boost It(Bar/None)Belfast-based indie pop duo Oppenheimer (Rocky O'Reilly and Shaun Robinson) join bubbly synth, guitar and percussion for their sophomore release, Take The Whole Midrange and Boost It. In a fast-paced,...
by Becky Everett | Apr 2, 2009 | Music
The Springfield Symphony Orchestra promises a performance that's not of this world in Flights of Fantasy. Narrated by George Takei (the original Star Trek's Mr. Sulu), the program features scores from that television series and other well-known space films....
by Gary Carra | Apr 2, 2009 | Music
He was platinum-haired… and platinum-selling by his teens. But after a series of well chronicled clashes with management, the complete gutting of his core musical group and ultimately, a meth habit that landed him as the unwitting star of an A&E...
by James Heflin | Apr 2, 2009 | Music
Musicians often pass around recordings in progress, getting other musicians to add parts until there's sufficient material to mix everything into a finished product. But Amherst College visiting professor Jason Robinson and his collaborators go one...
by Alyssa King | Apr 2, 2009 | Music
The students at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst radio station are resolved that if you're going to give them money, you're going to enjoy it. In that spirit, they host the second annual WMUA 91.1 Record Fest. Music vendors from across the Northeast...
by James Heflin | Apr 2, 2009 | Music
When I was a kid, kids' music came in several flavors: smarmy, cutesy, annoying, cloying, bad, and painfully bad. I remember with special horror an album called Scouting Breaks the Song Barrier, its back graced with a photo of the Goodtimers, three mop-haired...
by James Heflin | Apr 9, 2009 | Music
Zack Danziger is the kind of musician who makes anyone he plays with sound even better. In two series of shows, one established at Sam's Pizza in Northampton and a new one at Side Street Cafe in Florence, Danziger regularly proves that. In both venues, he books...
by Gary Carra | Apr 9, 2009 | Music
Frontman Noel Noel is the first to admit that the kid who inadvertently coined his band's name in 1991 was probably referring to the iconic hero Luke Skywalker."I was working with [the kid] at a youth facility at the time," Noel recalls. "And he...
by Becky Everett | Apr 9, 2009 | Music
The ornate interior of Sage Hall at Smith College has echoed the performances of skilled musicians, actors and artists since its construction in 1924. The hall houses the college's Music Department and includes numerous classrooms, practice spaces and even a...
by Advocate Staff | Apr 9, 2009 | Music
Point Juncture, WAHeart to Elk(Mt. Fuji Records)Point Juncture is not a real town, but a band from Portland, Oregon whose album Heart to Elk is an impressive debut. The male and female duo vocals often steer the songs, as in "New Machine" and "Kings...
by Valley Advocate Staff | Apr 9, 2009 | Music
Dan Hicks & The Hot LicksTangled Tales(Surfdog) Dan Hicks drummed with the acid rock band The Charlatans. That was the last time anyone pigeonholed him. Tangled Tales is musical jambalaya—spicy and full of ingredients. You'll hear Django Reinhardt licks...
by James Heflin | Apr 16, 2009 | Music
If you've been in the Valley a year or two, you probably know Philip Price from his band Winterpills, who play a particularly introspective kind of music they dub "chamber-indie." If you've been here a good while, you may know him as a solo performer...
by James Heflin | May 14, 2009 | Music
FlavaEvolution is an unusual and unusually talented jazz band. The four—Frank Newton (saxes, flute, clarinet, arrangements), Mat Schumer (saxes, clarinet), Paul Olesuk (trombone) and David Picchi (double bass, arrangements)—have chosen to play without the...
by Gary Carra | Apr 16, 2009 | Music
There's nothing unique—or even really very amusing at this point—about an announcer proclaiming "Elvis has left the building" after any given Presley impersonation these days.If such words are uttered at the conclusion of Russell Brooks'...
by Fraylie Nord | May 14, 2009 | Music
You might remember a bizarre story floating around entertainment websites and blogs last summer: some rapper was writing a mix tape devoted to what? Seinfeld? Wale's Mixtape About Nothing, which contains quirky catchphrases and the voice of Julia Louis-Dreyfus, is...
by Alyssa King | Apr 16, 2009 | Music
In the true spirit of classic Americana, the Route 63 Roadhouse is a no-fuss, no-frills place to have a great Saturday night. Local bands provide live music and dancing every weekend, making this venue much more than an out-of-the-way bar by the side of the road. The...
by Matthew Dube | May 14, 2009 | Music
Amherst band The Young Flyers is a reunion of sorts. Main Flyers Andrew Franklin and Matt Leitl first met and rocked out together almost half a decade ago, before (geographically) going their separate ways. Both musicians are now back in the Valley, playing shows and...
by Tom Sturm | Apr 16, 2009 | Music
Is it possible for a man's tongue to be longer than his entire body? Ask mini-Gene Simmons, the modestly-statured but still very demonesque bass player for the not-so-huge sensation MiniKISS. Already veterans of European tours and featured in national publications...
by Gary Carra | May 14, 2009 | Music
Historically, the Green River Festival's largest claim to fame has been its inclusion of one of the largest assemblages of hot-air balloons known to the region. And while the high-flying fun will once again be part of this year's festivities, the event's...
by Gary Carra | Apr 23, 2009 | Music
While his music has been compared to everything from "garage-rock Springsteen" to "post-punk Prince," the style and work habits of Jesse Sterling Harrison have always been easy to peg. In short, he's the quintessential DIY poster boy, a...
by Becky Everett | May 21, 2009 | Music
In 1972, when three Smith College and Mount Holyoke students began playing local dives under the moniker The Deadly Nightshade, all-female groups were mainly seen as novelty acts. The trio refused to be cast as the typical girl group, however, and conquered Pioneer...
by Advocate Staff | Apr 23, 2009 | Music
BearfootDoors and Windows(Compass)Hailing from Anchorage, Alaska, young bluegrass combo Bearfoot has just delivered its fourth album. Vintage Martin guitars, fiddles, bass, mandolin and minimal percussion fill out their rootsy yet decidedly modern sound. Smooth-voiced...
by Tom Sturm | May 21, 2009 | Music
When John Clark first walked into the Advocate offices to promote a reunion gig for his high school band, I thought the idea was quaint. A homegrown Valley local returning to reunite with his teenage mates after 40 years was a gem of a story that was just too good to...
by Alyssa King | Apr 23, 2009 | Music
Hailing from Pikine, Guinaw Rail, a poor part of Dakar, Senegal whose name literally translates as "the other side of the tracks," the African hip-hop group Gokh-Bi System believes that the universal language of music can be used to connect countries and...
by Matthew Dube | May 21, 2009 | Music
Long distance relationships can be tough, but the band White Problems is making it work. Guitarist Kevin Gebo and bassist Andy Farr reside in the Valley, while drummer Dan Barker and vocalist Matt Spent—talk about a cool name for a rock singer!—live in...
by Advocate Staff | Apr 23, 2009 | Music
Chris IsaakMr. Lucky(Reprise)Though Isaak may have made a career out of cooking up tasty bits of nostalgia, this latest release is truly an aural snapshot of another time. Spanning the spectrum of throwback songwriting from beautifully styled, crooning '50s pop a...
by Advocate staff | May 21, 2009 | Music
Meg and DiaHere, Here and Here(WEA/Reprise)Meg and Dia's third album is a charismatic pop-rock romp both upbeat and candid. Although the songs often deal with heartache and breakups, the optimism and self-acceptance running throughout keep the lyrics in line with...
by Lee Taylor | Apr 23, 2009 | Music
The historic Chapin Auditorium is the largest indoor performance space at Mount Holyoke College. The auditorium can be found inside Mary Woolley Hall, set amid Mount Holyoke's rolling greens, artfully designed quads and picturesque red stone buildings.A...
by Gary Carra | May 21, 2009 | Music
He may be a member of some half dozen of the area's more high-profile bands and a contributor/collaborator to virtually all of the others in varying ways. But at the end of the day, veteran Valley musician Henning Ohlenbusch has always considered himself a...
by Ryan Duffy | Apr 30, 2009 | Music
What do you get when you throw the sounds of Fela Kuti, Portishead, Steve Reich, Bjork and D'Angelo into a blender with a dozen young musicians and generous heaps of beats and 'tude? None other than Jamaica Plains' Rubblebucket Orchestra. The combo's...
by Alyssa King | May 28, 2009 | Music
Two performers voted Most Wanted Artists for the 2009 Falcon Ridge Folk Festival come together to play the Pioneer Arts Center of Easthampton. Abi Tapia is a songwriter whose optimistic music and upbeat performance style always evidence how much fun she has when she...
by Becky Everett | Apr 30, 2009 | Music
The SwillMerchants opted to do their interview in a bar. Shots were poured, passed and downed before I could switch on my tape recorder.This is par for the course for these local rockers, who are legendary for their whiskey-soaked antics on stage and off. Besides...
by Matthew Dube | May 28, 2009 | Music
The last few years have proven transformative for husband-and-wife duo Red Heart the Ticker. In addition to playing shows nationwide and recording their sophomore album, Tyler Gibbons and Robin MacArthur have managed to have their first child, hang out with Garrison...
by Gary Carra | Apr 30, 2009 | Music
Like any good parent, Mike "Haze" Dejesus says that he'd be hard pressed to pick a favorite "child.""From Collapse Into Reason and 30 Stones and Stone Coyotes to my 'babies that made it big time'—Staind, Killswitch, Shadows...
by Advocate staff | May 28, 2009 | Music
Thomas Mapfumo & The Blacks UnlimitedGwindingwi Rine Shumba(Water)Recorded in 1980 to celebrate Zimbabwe's independence, Mapfumo's Gwindingwi Rine Shumba (There's a Lion in the Bush) was the culmination of a series of remarkable recordings cut during...
by James Heflin | Apr 30, 2009 | Music
Northampton's Bistro 186 resides in an unassuming storefront on Main Street. The main business of the Bistro is food, of course, with an emphasis on sandwiches, soups and salads. But lately, music has become a major part of the menu.On Thursdays, blues singer...
