Band to Watch – The End Times Spasm Band

Posted by Ken on May 14, 2012 in Music, Music Reviews, Rock, Punk, Pop | 0 comments

There’s no way around it: The End Times Spasm Band sound like Squirrel Nut Zippers. A LOT like Squirrel Nut Zippers. But is that a bad thing? Squirrel Nut Zippers came across like the least of a novelty band of all the late 90s swing revivalists. You could tell they truly loved the music they played and weren’t just about being part of the zoot suit scene.

While Squirrel Nut Zippers were the cool older brother that listened to The Who and Zeppelin, The End Times Spasm Band are the punky little sister that prefers the Ramones and The Clash. Led by singer Lyndsy Rae, The End Times Spasm Band craft a unique blend of 1920s blues and New Orleans Jazz. Her personality and free spirit gushes out of the songs, making it nearly impossible to stand still while listening. It’s a throwback that fits in perfectly with the new wave of folk and bluegrass coming out today. Based in the Midwest, they stay mostly in that area for touring, so if they come to your town, definitely go because it might be a while before they get back.

Check out their website , a live performance of “I Don’t Roll Like That,” and their current tour dates below!

The End Times Spasm Band Tour Dates

05/17/12            Richmond,KY               Paddy Wagon

05/18/12            Bowling Green,KY        Tidball’s

05/19/12            Berea,KY                      Black Feather Cafe

05/24/12            Chicago,IL                   Quencher’s Saloon

05/28/12            Fort Wayne, IN                The Brass Rail

06/02/12             Joliet,IL                         Chicago St

06/07/12            Fort Wayne, IN                The Brass Rail

06/16/12            Findlay,OH                   Coffee Amici

06/21/12            Fort Wayne, IN                The Brass Rail

06/22/12            Indianapolis, IN              The Melody Inn

06/23/12            Bloomington, IN             Max’s Place

11/03/12            Indianapolis, IN              Private Party

Time for Livin’ – Remembering Adam Yauch

Posted by Ken on May 9, 2012 in Featured, Pop Culture, Random | 0 comments

Photo courtesy of: http://www.flickr.com/photos/zaneology

The Beastie Boys are the band I’ve loved the longest that were truly mine. I’ve known The Beatles and The Beach Boys longer, but they were handed down to me by my parents. There was no way they were coming home with License to Ill on their own. I was 10 when it came out. I knew “(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (to Party!)” of course, but I didn’t really know much else. I liked it, but something about it scared me. I remember going on a call with my dad (he was an electrician) and I could see a Beastie Boys poster hanging up in the teenage son’s bedroom. All I could think was “His parents let him listen to the Beastie Boys??!!!” which is a hilarious notion now. For an album that seemed so outrageous at the time, there isn’t even any profanity on it.

It took a while for the Beasties to turn back up on my radar. I loved the video for “Hey Ladies,” but none of my friends were into it, so I pretended not to care. As high school ended and I started to come into my own as far as musical taste went, I became secretly obsessed with Check Your Head, and then Ill Communication made us all die hard fans again. From there on, I picked up every album on the day it came out, including the instrumental jazz ones. The final straw to get me out of my post-college “I’m-still-trying-to-decide-what-to-do-next” retail career wasn’t missing various family functions on weekends, but when I had to miss the Worcester show on the To the 5 Burroughs tour.

Last Friday, the first text came when I was in line at Starbucks. It just said “RIP Adam Yauch of Beastie Boys.” It wasn’t a shock. They didn’t tour after their last album came out 3 years ago. In an email to their mailing list, he had announced he was seeking holistic treatments for cancer, which is never a good sign. He missed the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony a few weeks ago. But this one has affected me more deeply than the deaths of most of my relatives. Work productivity ground to a halt as I kept checking every news website I could think of for new stories. I listened to the WFNX tribute at 11:00 that night, and then just drove around for a couple hours afterwards, just listening to Paul’s Boutique and Hot Sauce Committee, Part 2, the only albums I had in my car at the time. All this for a man I never met and will never meet.

For all the talk of what was lost last week, the music, the humanitarian work, the only rap group to apologize for homophobic and misogynistic lyrics in their past, one thing never gets mentioned. When I went to their last tour, we had this group of guys next to us. I believe the correct term would be “meatheads.” You know the type… all wearing baseball hats (mostly backwards), chugging beers, saying they couldn’t wait to hear “Girls” and “Sabotage”…. Let me back up and explain a bit. My friend and I are the music elitist/snob types that love Sonic Youth and tend to hate the hit singles. Everyone knows they close with “Sabotage” and had for years, and as much as we might love the song, we’d both much rather have them surprise us with “The Sound of Science” or “Egg Raid on Mojo.” When this group of guys sat next to us, we rolled our eyes and made snide little jokes. But something happened over the course of the show. We were completely sucked into the show. They broke out “Shake Your Rump,” “Pass the Mic,” “Brass Monkey,” and “Egg Raid on Mojo.” By the time they closed with “Sabotage,” no one was more excited than we were. As the house lights came on, we were high fiving the meatheads and talking about how amazing the night had been. Guys we would normally avoid talking to under any other circumstance were now our buddies for the walk out. That’s what we lost last week: The only band that united my generation.

Feature photo by: GManvis

Fashion Sounds: Dana Buoy – “Summer Bodies”

Posted by Marie on May 8, 2012 in Fashion Sounds, Lifestyle, Products, Style | 0 comments

We are slightly obsessed with Dana Buoy’s debut Summer Bodies. Self-described as ”Tropicore,” the album was partially created in Thailand and the remaining parts in Brooklyn. The drumming and stunning pop melodies are near perfection. Not only are we digging the tracks but the album artwork for Summer Bodies is inspiring us to locate the coolest summer fashion must-haves, apply sunscreen, and hit the ocean waves.

Start your summer season right and check out Dana Buoy’s album here:

Good Deeds: High Note Collection for The Roots of Music

Posted by Marie on May 4, 2012 in Good Deeds, Products, Random, Style | 0 comments

It’s no secret that we are big supporters of music education – especially when it comes to kids. The Roots of Music is a not-for-profit New Orleans city-wide marching band. After Katrina, a lot of schools suspended music programs and The Roots of Music was created to offer music education and music instruction for free.

New Orleans artist and jewelry designer, Mignon Faget created the High Note collection with a portion of the proceeds benefiting The Roots of Music and supporting New Orleans musical heritage.

This music-inspired collection features t-shirts, an umbrella, and array of beautiful jewelry. Even though the pendants are on the pricey side, we love the music notes engraved with the fleur de lis – the symbol of New Orleans.

The collection is available online at www.mignonfaget.com. If you are interested in learning more about The Roots of Music and how to donate, we recommend visiting their web site http://www.therootsofmusic.com/

Fun Fun Records – Gimme Kindie Rock!

Posted by Ken on May 4, 2012 in Featured, Free Stuff & Giveaways, Music, Music Reviews, What the Kids Are Listening To | 0 comments

Mike Park definitely has grown up, indie punk cred. You might know him as a former member of Skankin’ Pickle and as the founder of Asian Man Records, the home of Andrew Jackson Jihad, Classics of Love, Alkaline Trio, and the Queers. In the past 6 years, Mike has had 2 kids and last year released a kids’ album called “Smile.” A bunch of his musician friends asked about releasing their own kid friendly albums. Fun Fun Records was born.

The purpose of Fun Fun Records is to keep the DIY spirit of punk intact while providing quality and educational music for kids. And they do. Fun Fun Records just launched with a FREE five song sampler. It features songs from Kepi Ghoulie (Groovie Ghoulies), Dan Potthast (MU330), Play Date (featuring Greg Attonito from Bouncing Souls and Shanti Wintergate), Happy Wags (Jesse Wagner from the Aggrolites), and Mike Park himself. Kepi Ghoulie’s contribution, “Days That End In Y,” is a mid-tempo, semi-acoustic jam that is my favorite of the batch. I’ve had it stuck in my head for 2 days now. The songs from Mike Park (“Wiggly Wiggly Worm”) and Happy Wags (“Use Your Words”) are more traditional kids’ songs, if your kids were in 90s ska bands.

I can’t wait to hear what comes from this label next. Check out their website and download the rare kids’ album you actually won’t mind hearing over and over and over on your next road trip.