WEEKLY BAND E-MAIL #143.0 September 2nd, 2010
By BRIAN ANASTASI bananastasi@comcast.net

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Exploit Boston!, a daily Boston music blog, will be re-starting their Internet radio station of Boston music past and present very soon. To access it, open up your iTunes, click the Advanced tab up top, click Open Audio Stream from the drop-down menu, and type in http://66.135.55.15:8081/exploitboston

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This is the weekend of the semi-annual Campfire Weekend indoor folk music festival at Club Passim at Harvard Square in Cambridge. The event begins on Friday, September 3rd at 6pm, and runs from 12noon to roughly 12midnight on Saturday, Sunday and Monday as well. Tickets are $10 per day. The complete schedule appears in this week's LISTINGS edition of the Weekly Band E-Mail.

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"Hometown Heroes" is the name of a huge music festival that will be held at the Shutesbury Athletic Club on Saturday, September 11th, 12noon-2am. This is an ALL AGES event. Tickets are $20 and available at the door..

Performing will be:
The Alchemystics
Primate Fiasco
The Problemaddicts
Fear Nuttin Band
Outter Stylie
DJ Redshift
Iganic Sound System
Shokazoba
Loose Caboose
DJ Megha
Gaia Roots
Danny Pease and the Regulators
Tem Blessed and Blessed Energy, and Kidd Ryddim.

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The Me and Thee Coffeehouse in Marblehead has released their 2010-2011 schedule. You can now buy tickets online through PayPal at http://www.meandthee.org/ Here is the schedule:

FALL 2010
Fri Sept 17th, 8pm, Session Americana, $16 advance, $18 at door
Fri Sept 24th, 8pm, Tim O'Brien, Avi and Celia from Hey Mama, $25 advance, $27 at door
Fri Oct 1st, 8pm. Garnet Rogers, Putnam Smith, $15 advance, $17 at door
Fri Oct 8th, 8pm, Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion, Adam Michael Rothberg, $16 advance; $18 at door
Fri Oct 15th, 8pm, Jill Sobule, Raina Rose and Rebecca Loebe, $18 advance, $20 at door
Fri Oct 22nd, 8pm, Slaid Cleaves, Brendan Hogan, $18 advance; $20 at door
Fri Oct 29th, 8pm, Eliza Gilkyson, John Elliott, $22 advance, $24 at door
Fri Nov 5th, 8pm, Carrie Rodriguez and Jim Lauderdale, $18 advance, $20 at door
Fri Nov 12th, 8pm, Christine Lavin and Don White, $25 advance, $27 at door
Fri Nov 19th, 8pm, Jimmy LaFave, Kerri Powers, $16 advance, $18 at door
Fri Dec 10th, 8pm, Sweetback Sisters, Bethel Steele, $15 advance, $17 at door

WINTER 2011
Fri Feb 4th, 8pm, The Angel Band, Hayley Reardon, $20 advance, $22 at door
Fri Feb 11th, 8pm, Mary Gauthier, Jason Myles Goss, $20 advance, $22 at door
Fri Feb 18th, 8pm, Adam Ezra, Pesky J. Nixon, $14 advance, $16 at door
Fri Feb 25th, 8pm, Aoife Clancy and Robbie O'Connell, Matching Orange, $18 advance, $20 at door
Fri March 4, 8pm, Jubilee Mule, $14 advance, $16 at door
Fri March 11th, 8pm, Caravan of Thieves, $14 advance, $16 at door
Fri March 18th, 8pm, David Wilcox, $20 advance, $22 at door

SPRING 2011
Fri March 25th, 8pm, Hot Club of Cowtown, $20 advance, $22 at door
Fri April 1st, 8pm, Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas, $20 advance, $22 at door
Fri April 8th, 8pm, Guggenheim Grotto, $14 advance, $16 at door
Fri April 15th, 8pm, Bill Staines, Scott Alarik, $16 advance, $18 at door
Fri April 29th, 8pm, Ante Duvekot, Caleb Hawley, $18 advance, $ 20 at door

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A new six-song EP from Winterpills will be available on the Signature Sounds label on Tuesday, October 5th. The EP is titled "Tuxedo of Ashes." It was recorded at Philip Price and Flora Reed's home studio, The Boomerang Ranch, from April to July, Many friends and guest artists played and sang on it as well, including Mark Mulcahy, Grant-Lee Phillips, Chris Collingwood, and Erin McKeown.

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This comes from Boston Band Crush:

Tommy Allen and Sarah Cronin, who together make up the Boston band Drug Rug, need a new van. Here is the notice that Tommy and Sarah sent to their fans and to BBC:

Dear People of Earth,

We are a band with a dream. We have been blessed with the opportunity to live this dream. All that is missing is the dream mobile.

Back in early February, our old van, Pee-Wee was on his last legs. He had many problems that were unfortunately too expensive for us to fix. We had to leave Pee Wee at the junkyard.

Since then, we have had to spend money on rental vans in order to tour, making it impossible to save up for a new van of our own. As of yet, with no vehicle to depend on, we are unable to make plans to tour in the future.

We want to keep doing what we love. We want to be able to share our music with the rest of the country! This is where you come in. We need your help, the help of our fans. We can't do this without you guys!

We are teaming up with Kickstarter to raise the money for a new van. You can choose to support us by donating various different amounts, and in return you get various fantastic prizes offered by us! Please take a minute to watch the video we made, and we hope you will be a part of our project! We can't wait to get back out on the road, and we know together we can make this happen!! Thank you so much for all of your support, and hopefully we'll see you soon!

Tommy and Sarah

You can get to Kickstarter at http://bit.ly/cBLnhi

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This comes from Exploit Boston!, a Boston Music Blog:

15 questions from Clay Fernald, Publicity and Promotions Manager for the Middle East in Cambridge:

1. Who is one of your favorite up and coming bands in Boston?

Have you heard the Jinx Bros? They play Delta/Piedmont blues. Sometimes the duo employs a washtub! I love seeing young guys playing an old style of music. Steve and Eric are such great performers and always get the crowd jumpin’.

2. What makes the Boston music scene great?

Our history and our reverence to it. The ’80s and ’90s rockers beget the early 2000s rockers. The 2000s rockers beget the electronic and DJ culture that we see now. New bands are growing up being influenced by what’s happened here. Reunions are abound. Bands I never thought I’d see play again are hitting it full force and it’s hard to keep up with all of the new projects! In the last year I’ve seen The Prime Movers, The Satanics, Orchestra Morphine, Treat Her Right

The F.U.'s and Roadsaw. Also, I’ve been at practically every Viva Viva show. Bands like Doomstar! are branching out into new but familiar territory. This is an exciting time. Almost everyone’s a DJ, including myself, and it’s fun to hear people with great taste spin their favorite tunes.

3. How did you end up in Boston?

I grew up in Abington, on the South Shore of Massachusetts. I studied at Massachusetts College of Art and Design, for a BFA in the Studio for Interrelated Media(SIM). SIM is a diverse program, close to an open major but not quite. I directed my own study in SIM toward spoken word performance, graphic design, event production, video, and painting. I saw my professor at a video event for another SIM graduate recently. I pulled him aside and said, “I’ve finally woken up, all of the work I did in SIM directly pointed me in the direction of this career path I am on, thank you”. I’ve been in Boston since I’ve graduated, playing in bands, working in book publishing (another passion of mine), and making the most of my time in this universe.

4. What invention are you waiting for?

Time Machine. I’m a comic book guy. Almost all cool comics incorporate a time machine. I’d be even more stoked if it looked like Jack Kirby drew it!

5. What is your motto?

One day at a time.

6. What is one of your favorite spots in Boston to get ice cream?

My favorite frozen yogurt store is Berry Line in Harvard Square. Watermelon with fresh kiwi on top, with Hershey’s syrup. That’s what’s up.

7. Who would play you in a movie about your life?

Seth Green. I’m watching Buffy from the beginning. Just started Season 3.

8. How do you find new music?

I’ve got a great network of friends that suggest I check something out. Also, when I’m at shows I pay attention to the opening bands. That’s the talent pool!

9. Who is one of your favorite bands?

The Hellacopters — Sweeden's best KISS and soul-influenced rock and roll band.

10. If you were doing something else for work, what would it be?

Writing, drawing, coloring, or lettering comic books.

11. What's the song for your life's soundtrack this year?

Cassidy – “Gotta Get My Paper Up” Not because I’m rolling in the dough; but just because this is such a fun summer jam. Crazy hook, and a Naughty By Nature “hey…ho.”
“My pockets full like they ate too much!”

12. What was the song for your life's soundtrack 10 years ago?

311 -- “Don’t Stay Home.”

“Don’t change the mold kid, just eat around it, that’s what I did.”
What?

13. Who inspires you?

My nieces Darby and Macie! I want them to have a great world to live in, and have the tools to deal with the culture at large. The potential energy of children is truly inspiring.

14. You're stuck on a deserted island with someone from the Boston music scene. Who would it be and why?

Duncan Wilder Johnson. That’s my dude. Fellow SIM grad. He’d tell me the same Slayer story over and over again, but each time it would be different, and better. I’m now wishing the first person to come to mind was a girl. Oh well. No turning back now.

15. What is your super power?

Spider-strength. The whole Spider-Man thing actually.

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The Boston Globe recently came up with a list of Boston's 25 greatest pop music acts ever.

Here are the 25 that the Globe critics chose:
1. Aerosmith
2. Pixies
3. James Taylor
4. Donna Summer
5. The Cars
6. J. Geils Band/Peter Wolf
7. Joan Baez
8. New Edition
9. New Kids On the Block
10. Aimee Mann/'Til Tuesday
11. Boston
12. Jonathan Richman and The Modern Lovers
13. Mission of Burma
14. The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
15. The Lemonheads
16. The Dropkick Murphys
17. The Remains
18. Galaxie 500
19. Morphine
20. Amanda Palmer/Dresden Dolls
21. Guster
22. Tavares
23. Dick Dale
24. Tom Rush
25. The G-Clefs

Here are the 25 that the Globe readers chose:
1. The Cars
2. Aerosmith
3. Boston
4. Pixies
5. James Taylor
6. J. Geils Band/Peter Wolf
7. Donna Summer
8. Aimee Mann/'Til Tuesday
9. The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
10. The Lemonheads
11. Dropkick Murphys
12. Mission of Burma
13. Tracy Chapman
14. Billy Squier
15. Morphine
16. Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers
17. The Del Fuegos
18. Dinosaur Jr.
19. Buffalo Tom
20. They Might Be Giants
21. Letters to Cleo
22. New Edition
23. Joan Baez
24. Guster
25. New Kids On the Block

And here are nine acts to watch:
Passion Pit
Converge
Crooked Still
Faces on Film
Eilen Jewell
Eli "Paperboy" Reed
Killswitch Engage
Susan Tedeschi
Boys Like Girls

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This comes from Susan Scotti of the Last Call Agency:

Fans of the late John Lennon will undoubtedly commemorate what would have been his 70th birthday on October 9th, 2010 in a variety of ways, but one of the most unique tributes will come from fellow musicians, namely the folk/rock artists Rex Fowler of Aztec Two-Step and Tom Dean of Devonsquare. Together, they have produced "Imagined: The John Lennon Song Project," a thoughtfully re-imagined tribute that celebrates the genius and artistry of John Lennon.

The "Imagined" CD combines a number of Lennon's songs in new and unexpected ways, weaving melody, lyric and song together in a series of single songs and mini-medleys. The CD also features Dean's former band mate Alana MacDonald and a host of talented musicians who provide backing on acoustic and electric guitars, bass, cello, violin, mandolin, accordion, chromatic harmonica and percussion. The CD is scheduled for release on John Lennon's 70th birthday, October 9th, 2010.

In conjunction with the release of the CD, Imagined: The John Lennon Song Project live concert will be touring this fall and throughout 2011, and will be stopping at the Regent Theatre in Arlington on Saturday, October 9th at 8pm. Tickets for this show may be purchased in advance for $25 and a $3 service charge at http://www.regenttheatre.com/

Aztec Two-Step burst onto the scene with their self-titled debut album on Elektra Records in 1972. Since then, Rex Fowler and Neal Shulman have spend a lifetime making music together as the folk/rock duo Aztec Two Step.

As their recording career continued, so did the critical acclaim. In 1987, "Living in America" received the New York Music Award for Best Folk Album, and was named in Billboard Magazine's year-end critics poll. Of their 2005 release, "Days of Horses," The Boston Globe said "fans of the duo's harmony-driven tunes and easygoing acoustic guitar riffs will recognize their James Taylor-meets-Simon and Garfunkel sound. What's new is the mood. This album sits back on its haunches as Rex Fowler and Neal Shulman look back wistfully at American pop culture and their own ride through it." In June 2007, Real Simple, a popular national lifestyle magazine, named Aztec Two-Step one of the top five classic folk albums, joining work by Bob Dylan, Judy Collins, Tom Rush and Phil Ochs. The article cites the duo as "surpass(ing) Simon and Garfunkel for exquisite harmonies, musicianship and emotion." Aztec Two Step continues to be one of acoustic music's most popular and enduring acts.

For 20 years, Dean, MacDonald, and Herb Ludwig toured the U.S. and Europe and released five CDs. A devoted fan base followed these three musicians from coast to coast to hear the shimmering three-part harmonies and award-winning songs that have earned them an international reputation. In 1988, Atlantic Records chairman Ahmet Ertegun heard them and signed them immediately to his record company. Their CD, "Walking on Ice," was released to critical acclaim in 1988. It's title track reached the Top 20 on the national AC charts and was a breakthrough NAC hit.

They immediately began work on their next CD "Bye Bye Route 66" which was released in January 1992. This CD spawned the singles "If You Could See Me Now" and "Bye Bye Route 66" which received rave reviews from radio and print media. It also earned them a nomination for "Best New Act" at the 1992 Boston Music Awards. This CD, produced by Fowler and Dean, is dedicated to the late Herb Ludwig and John Lennon. All songs were written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney except Imagine by John Lennon and Johnny’s An Angel by Rex Fowler.

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Information for the Weekly Band E-Mail is taken directly from venue,
band, and musician web sites, Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace pages,
as well as blogs, posters, flyers, and e-mails..
Brian Anastasi assumes no responsibility for errors on these sources.