Music
by Michael Cimaomo | Feb 16, 2012 | Music
Ask anyone: high school can be a stressful place. But how about coupling the pressures of homework and prom alongside frequent band practices and playing live gigs in front of dozens of unruly music fans? Welcome to the world of Whirl. That name, say the members of...
by James Heflin | Feb 16, 2012 | Music
Amid the staggering load of old-fashioned media that still lurks in my basement, queued up for transfer to digital, are some DIY cassettes from the Valley music scene of the 1990s. Most of them are the handiwork of longtime singer/songwriter Philip Price, who put out...
by Gary Carra | Feb 16, 2012 | Music
Your friendly neighborhood Crawler caught up with everyman comedian Colin Quinn for the full skinny on Long Story Short, a one-man show he is bringing from Broadway to Fox’s MGM Grand Theater for a one-night-only engagement Feb. 18. Here’s some of how it...
by James Heflin | Feb 16, 2012 | Music
Musicians often wax nostalgic about the glory days of the Valley music scene, and they often point to the 1990s as its pinnacle. It was a good time for music, to be sure, and Northampton’s scene, centered around the Bay State Hotel (now the site of the...
by Advocate Staff | Feb 23, 2012 | Music
Kieran Hebden, Steve Reid, Mats GustafssonLive at the South Bank(Smalltown Superjazz) Recorded at 2009’s Meltdown Festival in London, this double CD set is more than a live document. It’s a testament to the collaborative powers of electronic artist Hebden...
by Michael Cimaomo | Feb 23, 2012 | Music
Most band names fall into one of two camps. Either a group happens upon a name accidentally, and the unlikely moniker sticks. Or the musicians responsible for coming up with a name possess an elaborate backstory that provides an explanation for their unique handle....
by Advocate Staff | Feb 23, 2012 | Music
Various ArtistsGiant Single: The Profile Records Rap Anthology(Arista Legacy) It gives me a warm fuzzy feeling to hear proto-rap from the early ’80s, when both the art of rhyming and the science of audio production were in their relative infancies. LinnDrum and...
by Gary Carra | Feb 23, 2012 | Music
If Holyoke heavyweights Stare Down the Sun are late for the headlining performance at Maximum Capacity Feb. 24, it’s a safe bet drummer Matt Raymond won’t be the culprit. If all goes as scheduled, the personable percussionist should be seated right by his...
by Advocate Staff | Feb 23, 2012 | Music
The Hope Community Church Choir, Mak’hela (the Jewish Chorus of Western Massachusetts), Felicia Sloin and the Pioneer Valley old-time country musicians (including Rabbi Ben Weiner, pictured) join forces for a concert to benefit Project Rehovot. The project helps...
by Advocate Staff | Feb 23, 2012 | Music
In a concert to benefit the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, the Amherst College Jazz Ensemble offers the world premiere of “Blue Yonder,” a new work by Christine Jensen (pictured). Feb. 24, 8:30 p.m., Buckley Recital Hall, Amherst College, Amherst,...
by Michael Cimaomo | Mar 2, 2012 | Music
For Northampton-based indie rockers The Fantasies, there are more important matters in life than performing on stage. While many other bands in the Pioneer Valley are occupied by thoughts of simply writing and recording music, vocalist and...
by Advocate Staff | Mar 2, 2012 | Music
Kami ThompsonLove Lies(Warner Classics & Jazz) Kami Thompson is a mahogany chip from a block—she’s Richard and Linda Thompson’s daughter. Darkness lurks in Love Lies; about half the songs are of love gone wrong, sour, or missing. The others come...
by Gary Carra | Mar 2, 2012 | Music
How do you know you have bona fide crossover appeal? In the curious case of homegrown hero Aaron Lewis, one need only take a peek down the hallway of one of his pre-show meet and greets. During a Feb. 16 Mohegan Sun engagement, a representative from a country radio...
by Advocate Staff | Mar 2, 2012 | Music
Dance/electronic musicians Zeds Dead (pictured) visit Pearl Street with Omar LinX, XI and AraabMuzik. March 6, 9 p.m., Pearl Street Night Club, 10 Pearl St., Northampton, (413) 586-8686.
by Advocate Staff | Mar 2, 2012 | Music
Harris Eisenstadt and Canada Day offer percussion-driven jazz from composer and drummer Eisenstadt. March 3, 3 p.m., Buckley Recital Hall, Amherst College, Amherst, (413) 542-2195.
by James Heflin | Mar 2, 2012 | Music
Open a CD from West Hartford’s Michael Alan Snyder, and you’ll get something that’s pretty hard to come by: artwork that is the product of a singular and extraordinarily fertile mind. Most musicians fill their CD booklets with lyrics, production...
by Advocate Staff | Mar 9, 2012 | Music
Bill OrcuttHow the Thing Sings(Editions Mego) Bill Orcutt is best known for his work with the assaultive noise trio Harry Pussy, but his second solo acoustic guitar album may change that. The seven pieces on How the Thing Sings embrace primal Delta blues, the abstract...
by Gary Carra | Mar 9, 2012 | Music
According to the cliche, many is the person who ventures over to the neighbor’s doorstep to borrow a cup of sugar. Only a handful of Valley residents can claim Grammy-nominated artist Chris Collingwood as a neighbor, however. Singer/six-stringer/abutting...
by Advocate Staff | Mar 9, 2012 | Music
Joseph Ricker and Jamie Balmer, as Duo Orfeo, present modern classical music on electric guitars. 7-9 p.m., Great Falls Coffeehouse, 2 Ave. A, Turners Falls, (413) 863-3221.
by Advocate Staff | Mar 9, 2012 | Music
The Saw Doctors, Celtic rockers from County Galway, Ireland, pay a pre-Saint Patrick’s Day visit. March 11, 8 p.m., Calvin Theatre, 19 King St., Northampton, (413) 586-8686.
by James Heflin | Mar 9, 2012 | Music
Few things make me happier than witnessing artistic visions whose eccentricity is the unselfconscious byproduct of a highly individual vision. When those visions involve Japanese movie monsters, I am drawn to them like Mothra to a flame. The latest from Fall...
by Tom Sturm | Mar 16, 2012 | Music
The Big Bad Bollocks have evolved through a number of incarnations over the past two-plus decades in the Pioneer Valley, but have always remained the brainchild of longtime local musician, songwriter, DJ/radio host, art teacher and general public personality John...
by Michael Cimaomo | Mar 16, 2012 | Music
Attention Pioneer Valley musicians: the instrumental psychedelic pop band Strobe Horse needs your help. After performing at this year’s Happy Valley Showdown in Northampton and continuing to play occasional gigs around town, says group multi-instrumentalist...
by James Heflin | Mar 16, 2012 | Music
It’s an especially high-traffic St. Patrick’s Day season, with bands from Ireland dotting the landscape like clover gone out of control. There are plenty of Celtic-flavored contenders who hail from our shores, too, but few can boast the local and national...
by Michael Cimaomo | Mar 16, 2012 | Music
To some bands, music means more than simply a chance to perform on stage or make a living. To them, the process of writing songs and playing instruments can be an act of catharsis. And for groups like Springfield’s Crescent Hill, that catharsis can help create a...
by Advocate Staff | Mar 16, 2012 | Music
Doug Ratner & The WatchmenLessons Well Learned(independent) The Watchmen have steadily crafted themselves into a solid, tight unit that showcases Ratner’s considerable songwriting talents. Their approach springs mostly from roots-rock traditions of the...
by Michael Cimaomo | Mar 23, 2012 | Music
Deciding on a career path at a young age is a rare feat. Typically, one outgrows the dreams of childhood and seeks more viable employment when youthful fantasies are deemed unrealistic. However, for singer/songwriter Sarah Smith (aka “Hoonah”), the wish to...
by Advocate Staff | Mar 23, 2012 | Music
Shabazz PalacesBlack Up(Sub Pop) Second acts are rare in hip-hop, but almost two decades after Ishmael Butler burst onto the scene with Digable Planets, he’s reclaimed the spotlight as leader of the remarkable Shabazz Palaces. He raps that the group brings...
by Gary Carra | Mar 23, 2012 | Music
The Valley’s own Gone By Daylight have shared stages with everyone from Bret Michaels to My Chemical Romance and have more than 3,000 Facebook “likes” to their cyber credit. But it is a recent brush with a national cologne company of note that seems...
by Advocate Staff | Mar 23, 2012 | Music
The Blind Boys of Alabama bring their inspired, high-energy gospel to Great Barrington this Sunday. March 25, 7 p.m., $30-55, Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, 14 Castle St., Great Barrington, (413) 528-0100, www.mahaiwe.org.
by Gary Carra | Mar 23, 2012 | Music
One was the concert my generation had been dreaming of—the other, the “it” show for the children of people my age. And they both occurred within 48 hours. As evidenced by the eadrum-piercing squeals that surfaced as readily as the slot machine chimes...
by James Heflin | Mar 29, 2012 | Music
Valley native Craig Eastman headed west some years ago, fiddle at the ready, and invaded the City of Angels in search of musical success. It’s safe to say he’s found that success. When Eastman recently returned for his annual tradition of tearing up the...
by Advocate Staff | Mar 30, 2012 | Music
In the concert Composers in Our Midst, soprano Kristen Carmichael-Bowers, pianist Clifton J. Noble, guitarist Richard Ullman and harpist Carol Wood perform art songs (poetic texts set to music) by Noble and Wood along with art songs from other composers. March 31, 7...
by Advocate Staff | Mar 30, 2012 | Music
Portland, Maine’s The Milkman’s Union makes two stops in the Valley this week. With Goldwater Trio: March 29, 10 p.m., The Sierra Grille, 41 Strong Ave., Northampton, (413) 584-1150. With Cuddle Magic: March 30, 8 p.m., The Pushkin Gallery, 4 Federal St.,...
by Gary Carra | Mar 30, 2012 | Music
He blinded you with science. Now he’s taping you for Youtube. Electro-pop pioneer Thomas Dolby is making the rounds in support of his latest studio effort, Map Of the Floating City, with a most unusual vehicle in tow. The Crawler isn’t certain if it needs...
by Advocate Staff | Mar 30, 2012 | Music
Little WingsMade It Rain(Gnome Life) Previously released only in cassette form, this special vinyl LP edition of songwriter Kyle Field’s latest album is being limited to a run of only 300 copies. However, for those lucky enough to grab one, the record will...
by James Heflin | Mar 30, 2012 | Music
The group Shakers n’ Bakers explores a most unusual end of the musical flowchart, offering avant-jazz interpretations of Shaker “vision songs.” Those works, also known as “gift songs,” were spontaneously sung by Shaker women in...
by Michael Cimaomo | Apr 14, 2012 | Music
In August of 2010, the five musicians in the Western Massachusetts band Infinite August shared a moment. Individual members had previously paid their dues in such area ensembles as Melodious Culture, Vantage Point, The Elephant Disco and more. The group—singer...
by Advocate Staff | Apr 14, 2012 | Music
Pat MastelottoRecidivate((p)atco) Fans of Mastelotto as a drummer/percussionist in King Crimson, Mr. Mister, XTC and Stickmen (with Tony Levin and Marcus Reuter, coming to the Iron Horse April 25) will likely also enjoy this collection of mostly instrumental tracks....
by Gary Carra | Apr 14, 2012 | Music
Perennial party band favorites Orange Crush continue to squeeze some high-profile exposure out of small-screen appearances. As reported in a previous installment of this column, the boys of the OC said goodbye to 2011 with a Happy Ending… or, more specifically,...
by Michael Cimaomo | Apr 14, 2012 | Music
Today, indie bands are blessed with a variety of options for getting their names and music out to potential listeners. And some acts, like Northampton’s The Sun Parade, are wasting little time in putting such conduits to use. Recently, the folk-rockers took to...
by Advocate Staff | Apr 21, 2012 | Music
The Sweetback SistersLooking for a Fight(Signature Sounds) The retro-powered, girl-fronted Sweetback Sisters present a convincing flashback to the Grand Ole Opry golden era of country music, aided in part by analog production, live basic tracks, ribbon mics and...
by Michael Cimaomo | Apr 21, 2012 | Music
Released in 1980, the Jealous Again EP by iconic hardcore rockers Black Flag is a five-track, six-and-a-half minute screed about such topics as racism, police harassment and even former Flag vocalist Keith Morris. Formed in a basement in 2008, Springfield-based metal...
by James Heflin | Apr 21, 2012 | Music
I only caught a few minutes of the Oscars in February, but it was the right few minutes. I’m a devoted fan of Django Reinhardt, and when the strains of his “Minor Swing” came blasting from the set, I realized I was hearing a proper,...
by Gary Carra | Apr 28, 2012 | Music
By outward appearances, IMDB listings and bank statements, Kevin Costner has it all. But as revealed in a series of anecdotes during his April 11 Infinity Hall performance with his band, Modern West, even a Tinseltown titan is not immune to misunderstandings with...
by Advocate Staff | Apr 28, 2012 | Music
Dirty ThreeToward the Low Son(Drag City) On their first full-length in seven years, the instrumental trio Dirty Three crafts an engaging mix of folk-inspired sounds and rock energy. Opening with the hard-charging “Furnace Skies,” the album crashes into...
by Gary Carra | Apr 28, 2012 | Music
As reported in a previous column, Easthampton’s Flywheel recently snared a rare performance by Jimmy Destri, founding member of Blondie. In addition to being a veritable coup for the venue, it was also an opportunity for the Crawler to talk shop with bona fide...
by Advocate Staff | May 5, 2012 | Music
Steep Canyon RangersNobody Knows You(Rounder) Older bluegrass songs were mere prelude for instrumental breakouts, but younger players such as these pay more attention to songcraft. Not that there’s anything wrong with their breakouts. The Rangers can hold their...
by Michael Cimaomo | May 5, 2012 | Music
Popularly celebrated in the United States and Mexico, Cinco de Mayo is a holiday that holds a multitude of meanings for different people. Fortunately, just in time for this Cinco de Mayo weekend, Amherst fuzz-rock band Pachangacha is ready to boil the celebration down...
by Michael Cimaomo | May 5, 2012 | Music
As a former member of Springfield-based band Doubting Tom, local singer and guitarist Matt Fuller has had his brush with mainstream music stardom. Back in 2005 that Valley band, with Fuller on vocals, made the voting ballot for the Grammy Awards in eight categories,...
by Michael Cimaomo | May 12, 2012 | Music
According to Gone By Daylight frontman and songwriter Eric Paquette, 2012 is shaping up to be an exciting year for him and his bandmates. Though the current lineup—Paquette, Jeff Lynch (lead guitar, vocals), Jordan King (bass, vocals) and Shaanan King...
by Advocate Staff | May 12, 2012 | Music
Margot & The Nuclear So and So’sRot Gut, Domestic(Mariel) Combining a more British aesthetic for composition and production with a raw, undeniably American passion for gritty performance and storytelling, Margot & The Nuclear So and So’s have...
by Gary Carra | May 12, 2012 | Music
Nationally touring string troupe Rani Arbo & Daisy Mayhem showcases Mass appeal with back-to-back shows in the Bay State this weekend. The first, the 2012 Hilltown Spring Festival slated for the Cummington Fairgrounds on May 12, sees the seasoned performers...
by Gary Carra | May 12, 2012 | Music
It was a steamy July evening at the MGM Grand at Foxwoods back in 2008. “Red Rocker” Sammy Hagar had just invited local guitarist Desiree Bassett on stage to unleash her much-ballyhooed fretboard fireworks to Led Zep’s “Rock ‘n’...
by Michael Cimaomo | May 19, 2012 | Music
Joining a band while you’re in college is probably as commonplace as joining any other campus group. And the problems of attempting to play music in close proximity to thousands of others who are trying to sleep or study are just as common. Just ask Waking the...
by Advocate Staff | May 19, 2012 | Music
Rani Arbo & daisy mayhemSome Bright Morning(Signature Sounds) Categorizing daisy mayhem’s music is a challenge. Arbo loves gospel with a secular tinge, which one hears to beautiful effect on “Crossing the Bar,” her scoring of the famed Tennyson...
by Gary Carra | May 19, 2012 | Music
She’s the daughter of a preacher man. And a preacher woman, for that matter, since mom and dad were both ministers. She’s also known around the Pioneer Valley as Mrs. Joy, beloved kindergarten teacher. But at her core, Sheffield, Mass. native Christa Joy...
by James Heflin | May 19, 2012 | Music
Jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery became something of a phenomenon in the ’60s with his mellow and accessible version of jazz. Some of his albums even offered something most jazz players didn’t use: orchestras full of brass or strings. Pair that with...
by Advocate Staff | May 26, 2012 | Music
Jack WhiteBlunderbuss(Third Man Records/Columbia) As a latecomer to admiration for Jack White’s bombast, I approached Blunderbuss with apprehension. I need not have worried: the first half or so of this album is a stunner. White’s voice, sometimes warbly...
by Michael Cimaomo | May 26, 2012 | Music
Hailing from “the slimy yet majestic banks of the almighty Connecticut River,” local instrumental rockers The Darling Boys list three things as their inspiration for joining forces. “Unchecked aggression, hyperactivity and boredom all led to the...
